A Father's Fear
by PixieKindOfCrazy
Summary: AU. AH. Caroline Forbes has been dating Nik for a couple years now, so when the little plus signs stare back up at her mockingly, she thinks she knows what his reaction will be. And she was right. Problem is, she doesn't know why he's reacting this way, but she will soon understand the reason behind his confusing actions. Rated T for mentions of abuse and language.
1. Big News and More Nightmares

**A/n: **_So yes, this is the reason I haven't been updating very much lately. This story is me and OKBooey31's brain child. We are very attached to it, so please tell us how you feel. We've already been working on the future chapters and scene ideas. We decided to publish this now so people can see what the characters and story is about while we work on the next chapter. And I'd like to say thank you to OKBooey for even letting me co-write this wonderfully entertaining project with her because it was originally her idea in the first place. Well, she already had bits and pieces of this story when I mentioned in one of my PM's that I'd like to do a Klaroline baby fic. She offered to mix our ideas and co-write this. And honestly, I mostly just edited this first chapter. I've been obsessed with Sherlock lately, as I have mentioned, and well, I don't like writing a story when I'm not currently inspired by/obsessed with the fandom, so she did a lot of the original writing in this first chapter. I really only wrote the nightmare scene. Anyway, enjoy, and OKBooey, I hope you don't mind that I named the story without asking you, I was just so eager to publish it, but we can change it to whatever you want. _

**Disclaimer: **_We have firmly established that if we owned this show, we would have forced Joseph to marry both of us by now. _

"_Fear is the beginning of cruelty."-Anonymous_

"Okay, you can do this. It's no big deal. When he gets home, just tell him. It's three words…well technically it's two 'cause of the contraction between I and am," the blonde told her reflection, pausing at the randomness of her own thoughts, "Focus, Caroline, focus! It's not that hard. One sentence, two words, and then he…" she paused as she looked down at the counter, her eyes studying the pregnancy test that was in her hand and the other three on the marble counter, considering what her boyfriend's reaction would be. The little plus signs all looked back up at her mockingly. She honestly had no idea how he would react. Or…she did. She just didn't want her assumptions to be right…

She sighed as she turned away from the mirror and slid down against the counter, tears filling her eyes as she pulled her blonde curls out of her face. She pulled her knees to her chest in a protective gesture and stared at the pregnancy test. Caroline had no idea how long she sat there in the locked bathroom before there was a knock on the door.  
"Sweetheart? Are you in there?" Caroline would recognize that accent anywhere. It was one of the main things that made her agree to go out with in the first place, years ago.  
Caroline felt her eyes grow wide as she jumped, nearly dropping the pregnancy test onto the tiled floor. "Uh, yeah! I'll be out in a minute!" She called, scrambling to throw away all the 'evidence' and fighting to keep the strain out of her fake cheerful tone.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah… never better! I… just got out of the shower!" she lied, hoping he would buy it but she wasn't holding her breath. Nik was the one who informed her that she was a terrible liar. Actually, it was Bonnie, when they were 8. But Nik could always hear in her voice whether she was being truthful.

"Okay. I'll be down stairs," Klaus said after a minute, opting to ignore the worry in the back of his mind for now, "Elijah and Katherine are back in town. I told 'Lijah we would meet them for dinner later. He said they had something to tell us."

"Sounds good," she called after his retreating footsteps, suppressing her groan until they had disappeared out of their bedroom. Caroline had just found out life changing news and the last thing she wanted to do was go to dinner with her brother and sister-in-law. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and was about to walk out when she remembered saying something about a shower. "Shit…" she mumbled, turning the sink on and wetting her hair. _And the award for the most neurotic blonde goes to…_ even her thoughts were mocking her now.

With a huff, Caroline took in her 'showered' appearance before heading out the bathroom door and down the stairs. She found Klaus in the kitchen, the TV on ESPN in the living room- some soccer game- and he was drinking straight from the jug of orange juice. "Do you really have to do that? Other people in this house like orange juice and would appreciate drinking it without your slobber contaminating it, Nik."

Klaus smirked at her. "Oh, come on, sweetheart. You're no stranger to my saliva," he said with a wink.

_Well, at least he's in a good mood_, Caroline thought. _For now_, the little voice in the back of her head added and she groaned, sitting down on a bar stool.  
"What's going on?" he asked, before bringing the carton back up to his lips, trying to provoke her into smiling or slapping him. Either one would be fine; he just wanted to get her back to normal.  
Caroline bit her lip, "You might want to swallow that first," she mumbled as he cocked an eyebrow and put the carton down on the counter.

"There. You have my undivided attention," he was truly starting to become nervous.

"I'm pregnant."  
He stood there, gawking at her as she bit her lip, waiting for a response. She waited for what felt like forever, watching the surprise freeze his angelic features. _Quite ironic really_, she thought randomly, _angelic feautures on such a man. _Concerned that he wasn't even breathing, Caroline broke the silence.

"Nik?" she asked hesitantly, now biting the inside of her mouth, genuinely worried about his response.  
"What?" he finally deadpanned, like he had just forgotten the last five minutes.  
"I'm pregnant?" She was seriously becoming concerned for his mental status. _Maybe he's going into shock?_  
"Are you sure?"  
"Um, yeah. I'm late and I've never been late a day in my life."

He pursed his lips and nodded slowly, taking in the information. It was obvious he was still processing it when he started speaking again. "We're going to dinner in an hour," he said simply before walking out of the kitchen in a daze, leaving Caroline staring at the space he had just occupied. _Not shock then. Denial. _

Klaus hadn't said a word to her since he walked out of the kitchen earlier and Caroline couldn't take the awkward tension anymore as they sat at the table in the restaurant waiting for Katherine and Elijah to show up.  
"Nik?" she said from her spot across the table. He was staring at the white tablecloth, fingering his glass of scotch. He'd been doing that since they arrived.

"Nik," she hisses this time and, finally, his blue eyes snap up to hers. She sees the anger in them, masking something else that she can't quite name, and she reaches for his hand but he jerks away. "Seriously? Is this how it's going to be?" She prays that her voice doesn't portray the hurt she's feeling.

"I don't want to talk about this right now, Caroline," he says, leaning back in his chair and running a hand over his face like he does when he gets a headache.  
She doesn't have time to respond because Elijah and Katherine arrive and the mood changes into one of smiles and hugs as they greet each other and Elijah orders a bottle of wine for the table.  
"Would you like a glass, Caroline?" he asks kindly. Politeness was always her favorite quality of her brother-in-law.

"Um, no thank you," she says forcing a smile that quickly fades when she notices Klaus' glare. If he wasn't giving her the silent treatment, she'd ask him what the hell he was looking at. It's not as if she was making it obvious; she's never liked wine much. So, instead, she tells herself that pregnant women aren't supposed to drink…she's pretty sure she's heard that somewhere before. Dear God, she's not ready to be a mom.

"Then how about two more glasses of scotch instead of the wine," she hears Elijah tell the waiter. Klaus raises an eyebrow. Caroline catches Katherine's smile and the fond look Elijah gives her.  
"What's going on?" Klaus asks for the second time in just over an hour, leaning back to observe his brother and sister-in-law. Caroline gets a sinking feeling in her stomach, like she knows what's about to happen and is praying it won't.

"Well," Katherine says, her smile growing on her face. "We're pregnant!" she says excitedly and Klaus chokes on his scotch.  
Caroline does her best to look happy as she hugs Katherine and congratulates Elijah. She kicks Klaus under the table when she realizes he's just sitting there with that dumbfounded look on his face, the same surprise that was written on his features earlier. She'd laugh if she wasn't so upset with him.

"Bloody hell," he finally says, "My sister-in-law and my girlfriend drop the same bomb within an hour of each other."  
And then the attention is turned to her as Katherine laughs in delighted shock, leaning over to hug her, and chattering excitedly about how the babies are going to be the very best of friends and other nonsense as Elijah claps Klaus on the back, one of the brothers obviously more excited than the other. Caroline would normally smirk at the out-right joy of her sister-in-law and how out of character it was. _Guess that's what pregnancy brings out…_she thinks bitterly, wishing she could be as ecstatic as Katherine is.

Caroline huffs and spends the rest of the evening talking to Katherine about baby names, nursery ideas, and all other things as Klaus downs more scotch (Caroline finally cuts him off) and Elijah makes small talk with his brother.  
At the end of the evening, they say their goodbyes and Elijah and Katherine head back to the hotel they're staying in for one more night. Caroline grabs Klaus' car keys from his pocket, not even bothering to look at him, and stalks to their black SUV. She climbs in behind the wheel and stairs straight ahead. He doesn't say a word to her as she drives them home and, not for the first time today, Caroline wants to cry.

She sits outside on the porch for a long time after Klaus had stalked inside. Her thumb was hesitantly hovering over the 'Call' button on her cell phone, her best friend's phone number dialed as a tear runs down her cheek. She sighs and stands up to go inside, deciding to call Elena tomorrow. _Maybe Lexi's back from her trip to Rio…_

Things get worse when she gets to the living room to find her pillow and a couple of blankets laid out on the couch. She grabs her pillow and storms up to their room, slamming the door open.  
"What the hell is your problem?" she demanded upon seeing him lounging in the middle of the bed, reading some nondescript 'classic'. _The nerve of him, sitting there all unaffected._ Caroline throws her pillow onto the bed. There is no way in hell she is sleeping on the couch tonight.  
"I don't have a problem," he says without looking up.

"You're being ridiculous, Nik. It's not fair," she says, her voice breaking as she can't stop the tears this time.  
"We can't have a baby, Caroline."  
"Why not?"  
"Because…because...well why doesn't matter. We just can't have a baby, Caroline!"  
"That's the stupidest excuse I've ever heard!"  
"It's still a 'no'! Get an abortion or something. I don't care what you do, just get it taken care of," he said dismissively, trying to hide the shake in his voice. She narrowed her eyes as she realized that this was about something else, he was trying to mask something behind the pretense of cold indifference. She doesn't care what it is at the moment, though. Fact is, he's being a complete jackass.

"Klaus!" she said, wrapping her arms around her stomach, a movement that's both protective to the being inside her and an attempt to keep her sobs in. She shook her head, blonde curls bouncing with the movement. "You better damn well listen to me, Niklaus Mikaelson. I'm having this baby whether you like it or not. I'll do it with or without you, so, make your choice!" she exclaims before storming out of the room and back downstairs where she curls up on the couch and cries.

Caroline pressed a hand to her stomach and rubbed it soothingly. "It's okay, baby. Mommy's here and I won't let anything happen to you. Mommy will always take care of you," she whispers, making a promise to herself and to her baby that she will learn how to be a good mother even if it kills her.

* * *

As it turned out, he didn't have a peaceful and unaffected sleep. Not at all. In front of Caroline, he over-projected his anger so she wouldn't notice anything else. Actually, the pretense was intended to fool himself more than her. But even he couldn't hide from his subconious, most certainly not in a dream.

It wasn't like he hadn't had this particular dream before. He had. Many times, in fact. But it still affected him the same way-cold sweats. The dream-nightmare- frightened him. Because it's different. In most of his dreams, he can tell, in some tiny part of his subconscious, that it isn't real. But with this one, he feels it. He feels like everything happening to him is real. He feels every punch his father inflicts to his face. He feels every bruise, every crack in his ribs, every black eye and every cut from his father's pocket knife. The bruises pulse with a persistent aching that is in time with his heartbeat. The cracks in his ribs break more every time he breathes, like needles and stones digging into his insides. The cuts sting like acid-like alcohol being poured over open wounds- every time the wind hits them. And he lays there, half curled in on himself, as that man-he refuses to call him 'father' anymore by that point- says things to him that leave longer-lasting scars than the cuts do, things like 'useless, stupid mutt', 'god-damned bastard', and the worst of all 'nobody cares about you, boy'.

Even his imagination couldn't conjure up that accurate of sensory perceptions. No. This dream is different because he feels it and he feels it because it's not just a dream, it's a memory. Back then, his father would tell him it was all his fault. Of course, Nik was only a child. Hardly even eight years old. He would see his parents scream at each other and watch as his father threw around furniture and words like 'cheating slut', but he never knew what any of it meant. The one thing that was always engrained into the back of his mind though…was that it was all his fault. He didn't understand how, but he'd had it shouted in his face so many times that he'd started to believe it. Years later, his mother finally explained to him what his father had burned on his memory-he was not Mikael's son. His mother had had an affair with a man from her office, years before, and from it, Niklaus was born. His mother told him that right before she ran off, never to be seen again. Mikael probably always knew-that's why the beatings had started. He'd needed an outlet for his fury. And the defenseless boy became that outlet, that punching bag.

The Mikaelson kids had been sent into foster care after that. They had once made the mistake of trying to separate Niklaus and Rebekah. Rebekah bit the social worker to the point of making her hand bleed. Niklaus broke every chair in the orphanage's living room. Needless to say Rebekah was not taken away that day.

But Klaus saw it almost every night, his father's face, as he felt him lash out against him. And over and over again, with each hit, he would hear the words that stung more than any of the physical crap.

_Nobody cares about you anymore, Boy. _

_Nobody cares about you anymore, Boy. _

_Nobody cares about you….. _

It rang in his head as he tossed and turned in their bed. The sheets were soaked and tangled from his sweating and turning, but the words kept pounding into his brain as he fought with every fiber of his being to make himself believe that they weren't true. He breathes hard as the dream changes directions. Funny, he'd normally wake up at this point. The dream turned, he was no longer with his father. This time, he was the father. He was standing in a plain, dark room and a little boy was sitting on the ground in front of him. Klaus repressed a scream as he recognized himself in the boy's face and distinctive blond curls. Clear blue eyes looked up at him through a film of tears, the boy's chin was shaking in fear. The boy had a bruise just above his right eyebrow. Klaus blinked and flashed back to the day he had gotten hit in the exact same place. One more blink and he was right back in that dark room with the little boy. Nik clenched his fists in a nervous habit, and felt something wet on them. He slid his fingers together in an attempt to determine what the substance was. Everything went in the type of slow-motion one sees in horror movies as he turned his palms up. His heartbeat doubled and his face grew hot as he saw it. Blood. All over his hands, covering them. He looked down at the boy quickly and saw that more damage had appeared-cuts and bruises and scars, all over him, covering his body, blood soaking his white pajamas. He turned around in a panic, but it was no use. There was no door. The only thing he saw was a mirror. When he saw the face in it, he screamed, bolting upright in bed. His heart pounded as he rapidly turned his hands out in front of his face. He let out a huge breath as he saw that they were clean. He put a hand on his face and breathed into his fingers as he waited for his pulse to slow down and his mind to stop racing and sending up red-alert signals. He fell back down onto the bed with two conflicting thoughts raging war inside his head:

'_That baby will not die because of me' _and_ 'I cannot be a father'. _

The face he had seen in the mirror was not his own; he'd seen his father's face staring back at him.


	2. Projecting

**A/n: **_So, uck, I apologize so much for the nasty, jumbly formatting of last chapter. We have no idea why it turned out like that. I looked over it and tried to make it look better, but alas, is a troll at times. Anyway, hope this chapter is spaced better. I'm of course, going to thank my awesome beta OKBooey31 for starting this and writing half of this chapter. We have ideas in the works for some really good stuff coming up guys, so please share this fic with your friends. After all, we fangirls-and boys, no judgment-are stronger together.__Also, I finally published a Sherlock fic to combat my PRD (Post. Reichenbach. Depression) So please read that if you know that fandom..I know promoting my fic on one of my other fics…shameless, but my morals go on vacation sometimes. Won't be back til Tuesday. Enjoy. And as always, REVIEW! _

**Disclaimer: **_The loveliness of these characters belongs to Julie Plec and whoever else, but the ideas in this fic solely belong to PixieKindofCrazy and OKBooey31. _

"_That's the problem with disguises; no matter how hard you try, they're always a self-portrait."- Irene Adler, A Scandal in Belgravia, Sherlock BBC. _

She's running late the next morning because Klaus has continued to make things difficult by locking her out of their room. She would understand if he was unsettled by the news, but she doesn't get why he's acting like she's done something to offend him. But it doesn't matter today; she always meets Lexi and Elena for walks on Tuesday and coffee on Thursday mornings and she know he is well aware of that…at least he should be by now. She contemplates just not going, but decides she needs to see her best friend, like immediately, so she find herself banging on the bedroom door until she hears him stumbling across the floor.

"_What_?" he asks, throwing the door open and revealing his bed-ragged self.

"Get out of my way. I'm late because you're being a child," she said, striding past him without so much as a glance.

"So now this is _my_ fault?"

"Oh my God, get over it! " she said, forcing the scream back down her throat as she pulled clothes out of the dresser. Caroline really wished she was better at choosing her words. "Ugh, you know I meet Lexi and Elena on Tuesdays. But if you _really_ want to get technical, then yes. It is your fault because, _you_ fertilized _me_." She whirled around to face him, pointing at him and then herself to emphasize her words. He didn't answer as she stormed into the bathroom and got ready.

He was in her way again when she tries to leave the room. "Seriously? I _don't_ want to deal with you right now."

"It's not _my fault_ that you didn't tell me _this_," he says, gesturing to her stomach, "could happen!"

"I shouldn't have to. I'm not your sixth grade health teacher! Pregnancy is _typically_ what happens when a man and a woman have unprotected sex! But, _obviously_, you weren't aware of common knowledge so I hope you'll excuse me next time when I stop things in the heat of the moment to tell you that I'm _ovulating_!"

He growled as she rushed out of the room, "Fuck you, Caroline!"

"You got that one covered, honey!" she yelled from down the hall before running down the stairs, grabbing her car keys and storming out of the house. She was beyond tears now. Now, she was just angry.

"Sorry I'm late!" she exclaimed when she hopped out of her car at Elena's. "Where's Lexi?"

"On her way. Stefan had to work and she wanted to see him off. Ugh, adorable newlyweds. Just wait until they've been married for a few months, then they'll go back to normal. You look…flustered," Elena told Caroline as she joined her on the steps of her front porch.

"I guess that's one word for it."

"Bad morning?"

"More like a bad sixteen hours."

"Uh-oh. What happened? Did you two get in a fight?"

Caroline pursed her lips as she fixed the laces on her sneakers, "Something like that."

Elena sighed. "Care…did he…did he hurt you?"

"Oh my God, Elena! Why does everyone think that Nik is abusive whenever we have a fight? Just because he has violent tendencies and a really bad temper does _not _mean he abuses me! He would _never _do that to me. You should know that 'cause Damon was the same way at the beginning of your relationship…just less extreme maybe."

"I'm just looking out for you, Care. I know you guys love each other, but I don't like seeing you this upset, especially when he causes it," Elena's brown eyes were full of sympathy, it was her signature expression really.

"Well he makes me happy so stop worrying," Caroline appreciated that Elena cared, she really did, but sometimes it made her feel like she was being scolded by her mother.

"Obviously. I mean you're so happy right now," Elena pointed out sarcastically.

"Well excuse me for not being overly excited when the man I love wants nothing to do with the fact that he got me pregnant!" She exclaimed a little more loudly than necessary, she just couldn't push down all the steam anymore. Elena looked at her, a mixture of shock and excitement on her face.

But of course, Damon being Damon, chose that moment to walk out the door with their two-year-old son, Alex, on his heels. "Mornin', Blondie!" he said with his characteristic smirk.

"Yeah," Alex piped up, "Hey, Auntie Barbie."

Elena shook her head, "Sorry, Care. I swear we didn't teach him that. He just picked it up, I guess."

Caroline rolled her eyes and smiled, reaching out to dishevel the little boy's hair, "Morning, Damon," she said flatly, glancing at him sideways from her seat, she still held a little grudge against the man after he had cheated on her when they dated in high-school, "Morning Damon Jr.," she grinned at Alex as she turned back to face him. He laughed, ice-blue eyes shining.

"Aww, why the long face? Big bad wolf got your tongue?" Apparently Damon had picked up on her mood as well. _Wonderful._

"Damon!" Elena scolded.

"_Oh_. Are we interrupting something?" he asked in a whisper and Elena gave him a pointed look as Caroline rolled her eyes. "Well if you'll excuse me. Girly talk was never my forte," he said in that tone of voice he always used when he had stumbled upon something awkward that he just happened to find amusing. "Isn't that right, Alex? Alex?" he called out, seeing as the boy had mischievously disappeared from the porch out into the yard. His head of unruly, dark hair popped out in the flowerbed, a small pale hand holding up an entire flower plant by the bulb.

Caroline hid her laughter when the boy gave his father a smug look that screamed he was Damon's son and brought the plant to Elena, who watched it all with raised eyebrows. "Thank you, Alex," she said with a forced smile as Alex handed it to her without a word, smirk still in place as he looked proudly at his father.

"Dude, no! No, no, no, no, no, _no. _Did I mention, no? You've got it all wrong," Damon said picking up the dirt covered two-year-old and shaking a finger in his face, ,"Yes, girls like flowers. No, you don't yank them out of the flower bed before giving them to one," Damon walked away as he finished his little speech on 'What girls like'.

Elena shook her head with a laugh, "I hated those flowers, anyways."

"You're kid's a spaz, 'Lena," Caroline said with a laugh of her own, thinking of all the other odd things that little Alex got into.

"He's so much like Damon, it's frightening. Anyways…you're pregnant."

Caroline huffed. "Yup."'

"And Klaus doesn't want anything to do with it?

"Nope," she said, popping the 'p'. "He was yelling at me this morning about how it was my fault because I didn't warn him that it could happen," Caroline said, watching as Lexi drove up. "Like, seriously, the guy's nearly twenty-six years old…you would think he knew how the female reproductive system worked."

Elena gave her a pointed look. "You would think but when it gets hot and heavy like that, men only have _one_ brain. And I think Damon and Klaus are similar enough in that department that I can feel justified saying that."

Caroline nodded, "He hasn't had the best of luck in the relationship department so I guess I can understand why he's so con-"

"Hey!" Lexi called with a wave, interrupting Caroline as she got out of her car.

"The guy's a control freak, Care," Elena said, standing up and turning around to pull Caroline with her.

"Hey, you can't say anything! Damon was the same way so don't be such a hypocrite, 'Lena. Nik's gotten better! Like loads better. You have to admit he isn't the man you met at Katherine and Elijah's wedding. Did you know when we first started dating, he wouldn't let me touch his face?," she sighed, thinking of her current predicament, "I just wish he wasn't so assertive, though."

"Who's assertive?" Lexi asked, her new, shiny wedding ring glistening on her left ring finger and her straight blond hair swinging as she hopped into step beside her friends.

"Oh, Caroline and Klaus are having issues," Elena said, squeezing Caroline's hand as the blonde scoffed.

"It's something new every week with you two!"

"Is not! Why does everybody think we have an unhealthy relationship? Yeah, he has serious issues, but he needs me and I need him."

"But what if he decides it's time to walk out?" Elena asked, arching an eyebrow in Caroline's direction.

"Then, fine. I told him he could make his decision. I'm perfectly capable of doing this without him."

"Wait a minute. Didn't you just say how you need him?" Lexi asked as they walked down the street. Caroline sighed and exchanged a look with Elena.

Lexi narrowed her brown eyes, looking between the two dubiously, "I'm missing out on something. Girl, you better spill those beans before I spill them for you," she grinned; she loved having girlfriends. In high school, most of her bestfriends had been guys-like Stefan.

"I'm pregnant and Nik is being a bastard about it."

"Goodness, I haven't been in Rio long enough for hell to break loose, have I? I guess I'll just have to never leave again," she sighed dramatically, "That man is being moody about something that happened without his explicit permission? I'm shocked."

"Not helping, Lexi."

Lexi looked at Caroline, weighing her mood with a sigh, "I know, Care. I'm sorry. Do you want me to get Stefan to talk to him? He was really good at getting Nik to calm down in college," she offered.

Caroline shook her head. "No…if he talks to _anyone_, it'll be Elijah. Despite all the lost love between those two, Nik still trusts him more than any other guy in his life, including Stefan."

"He wouldn't go to Rebekah?" Elena asked, brows furrowing.

Caroline considered this for a moment before shaking her head, "No, I don't think so. I mean, he could but talking to her would be the obvious choice and Nik _never_ goes for the obvious choice."

"The poor guy. I don't know how Stefan made it through college with him. He always said that Klaus wasn't exactly easy to live with."

"That might be the understatement of the century. He's so secretive and just when I think I've got him pinned, he puts his damn walls back up and I have to start all over! Ugh, and things were going so well, too. I just wish I knew what made him like this…"

"You've gotten farther than anyone else has, Care. Take that as an has to say something about how he feels for you," Lexi smiled softly, tilting her head to look at the other blonde's face.

"I know, I just wish he was more trusting...he's so cautious and hesitant. It's like he thinks _everyone_ has an ulterior motive and is out to get him. If he would just _listen_ and not blow everything he doesn't like out of proportion, things would be so much simpler! Like this shouldn't be such a big deal. But we have to make things ten times more difficult just because 'we can't have a baby and why we can't doesn't matter,'" Caroline said, mocking even Klaus' accent.

Elena laughed suddenly.

"What?" Caroline whined. _This is not the time to be laughed at._

"I actually can't get over how both you _and_ my sister are pregnant!"

"What?" Lexi exclaimed. "_Katherine Gilbert Mikaelson_ is pregnant?"

"Yeah, I know. I didn't see it coming!"

"It probably didn't help Nik that he found out about both within an hour of each other," Caroline dead-panned.

Lexi laughed this time, not even trying to hold back her chuckles for propriety's sake, "I can only imagine the look on his face!"

Despite herself, Caroline found it hard not to smile. "It would have been absolutely _hilarious_ if I had kept my mouth shut!"

_We always need more orange juice_, she thought, laughing despite the situation as she walked aimlessly down the aisles of the grocery store, trying to wrack her brain for any other thing that they may need in an attempt to delay her arrival back at her house.

"Hey, Caroline!" a familiar, high-pitched, voice called behind her and she turned around to see Matt Donovan, one of her ex-boyfriends and closest confidants, and Klaus' younger sister, Rebekah, walking towards her. Okay, Rebekah wasn't exactly her favorite person-what with the whole 'trying to overthrow her for squad captain in high school' thing- but talking to them was still a distraction from returning home. So she put on her best and brightest Caroline Forbes smile; she was used to plastering it on, that's how she won Miss Mystic Falls years ago.

"Hey, guys! How are you?" she asked cheerfully as she silently thanked Lexi and Elena for putting her in a slightly better mood.

"Doin' good. What about you? I feel like we haven't seen each other in forever! What are you and Klaus up to these days?" Matt exclaimed excitedly.

She was happy for Matt. Honestly, if the ice-queen made him happy, then she was pleased as well. But that didn't mean she enjoyed this particular subject.

Caroline felt her smile start to fall but she quickly put it back in place as she shrugged. "You know, the usual! Helping out with the cheerleaders at the high school on my days off, Nik's painting his ass off, draining cartons of orange juice daily."

Caroline was a journalist for a relatively successful paper that was based here in Chicago. Nik painted for the local galleries, free-lance.

"He still does that?" Rebekah asked in disbelief,"Drinking straight out of the carton? I would've thought he'd grown out of that."

"Oh yes. It's disgusting. I'm almost to the point where I'm going to buy two separate cartons and write my name on one."

Rebekah laughed smugly, "Oh, that won't stop him. If I know anything about my brother, and I do, then that will only encourage him more. Impossible man."

"Awesome," Caroline said, forcing a laugh, "Have you talked to your brother today?"

"Which one? I have three."

Caroline forced herself to smile instead of slapping Rebekah; she always made it her job to make Caroline feel stupid, especially about her family, "Nik."

"No, I haven't seen him lately. Elijah's back in town though so I suspect we'll all be getting together sometime soon," Rebekah said, cutting her eyes in a way that made Caroline uncomfortable. Rebekah had incredible instincts, in fact Caroline was positive the girl could smell fear from a mile away. If Rebekah sensed something was wrong, she would get to the bottom of it very quickly, _especially_ if Klaus was involved. It was a little obsessive at points, how protective she was of her brother. Caorline understood it, but it still freaked her out a bit. Plus, she didn't exactly want to spread the news around until Nik was off his high horse about it all. Caroline decided it was time to make her escape before she could give anything else away.

"Well, I should be going so Nik doesn't miss out on his daily dose of juice. Who knows, he may spontaneously combust without it," she forced a chuckle out, "See you guys soon!" she exclaimed brightly before kicking it in to high gear, walking as fast as she could.

"Did she seem a little flustered to you?" Matt asked as he watched his old friend leave..

Rebekah nodded. "If she's hurt Nik, I'm going to wring her neck. Nik's had enough trauma in his life and _she_," Rebekah sneered, "doesn't need to add to the list." Funny how she always assumed Nik was the one hurt. However much precedent and reason there was for Rebekah's behavior, it was still ironic.

Matt sighed. As much as he loved his friends, he, unfortunately, had to agree with Rebekah. One night, early in their relationship, while they sat in his truck outside of the Mikaelson household, Rebekah had told him everything. From Esther's affair to Mikael's abuse of all his children, mainly Klaus, of their time in foster homes, and how Klaus had found them all and brought them all back together. Even if he wasn't Klaus' biggest fan, Matt couldn't help but feel bad for the guy. He respected him too. _Honestly, any guy that could hold his whole family together when he was 17 has to be strong, _Matt thought grudgingly.

"I'm sure everything's fine, maybe Caroline's just had a bad day. He's sure lucky to have a great sister like you, Beks," Matt said, taking her small, porcelain hand in his before leading her down the aisles of the grocery store, hoping that everything was okay between Caroline and Klaus.

Caroline was not in a good mood. Granted, she hadn't been since...most likely last week. The whole run-in with Rebekah at the store had not helped, though. Yes, she did respect Rebekah. She _was_ Nik's sister and the genes had to count for something right? Family loyalty and all that. She also respected her for making it through life in numerous crappy orphanages and foster homes. The bond Rebekah and Klaus shared was obvious to everyone, especially Caroline. They'd both kill for each other. Caroline was a family and friends oriented girl, so naturally, she admired that Rebekah cared that much for her brother.

But that was it. That was as far as her like/tolerance/respect for the girl went. She always thought that when she met her prince charming, she would bond with his sister, if he had any. Bond naturally, you know, because they both care so much for the guy. She'd pictured an eighty's movie montage of the two of them going shopping all day and sharing embarrassing secrets about their favorite guy. She'd imagined that years ago though, and now, putting Rebekah's face on the nameless girl in her fantasy was a little off-putting.

For another thing, while she valued the bond the girl shared with Klaus, she was honestly a little jealous. She had never thought she would be. She always thought that only reason to be jealous of a girl being close to your man was because said tramp might steal said man-who was, as is already stated, yours. But this was nothing like that; there was no danger of Rebekah stealing Nik because…well, she was his sister, and…ew. But the jealousy was still there. Nik told Rebekah things that he didn't tell anyone else; he was more comfortable, at ease, around her. When Nik had first brought Caroline over for a family dinner, to introduce her, Caroline had been shocked at how open her thought-to-be-hard-shelled boyfriend was with his little sister; he'd laughed and joked and even let her tease him.

Caroline was used to be the one person who broke through his walls, and really, she was successful at it in a lot of ways. He let people make fun of him now, he would openly hold her hand sometimes, he even told her about his worst fear- he'd said it was drowning and then he'd gotten this weirdly dark reminiscent look, as if he'd been remembering something. She'd found his fear odd, considering he was a very good swimmer and he actually enjoyed it. But when she'd asked for an explanation, he'd refused to give one. She had been okay with that because she knew not to press him when he was like that. But she'd brought it up in a random conversation with Rebekah once-how odd it was that he loved to swim, but was afraid of drowning- and she'd gotten the same look in her eyes, except defensive. She'd seemed to know the secret that Caroline had asked to be told, but wasn't.

She knew it was irrational to still be peeved over that, but she couldn't help it. Seeing the youngest Mikaelson had brought back up all those feelings she had so skillfully repressed.

She sighed as she set her keys down on the kitchen cabinet, the metal clanking against the marble, "That man," she shook her head, "He's gonna drive me out of my mind one day…"

"Well, I certainly hope not. You've been good for him."

Caroline jumped at the polished tone and polite words, spinning around on the spot to see none other than the eldest Mikaelson, brother of the infuriating man whom she was in love with, "Elijah," she gasped, trying to speed her pulse down now that she knew who was in her home, "I've told you not to do that anymore. The whole appearing-out-of-nowhere thing was impressive at first, but now it just gives me heart attacks," she tried for a laugh, her voice still a little shaky from fright.

The dark-haired man smiled gently, nodding his head politely in apology, "Sorry, Caroline. I don't mean to 'sneak up' on people, but according to my lovely Katherine, I do that a lot. She thinks my presence is just too quiet and calm for my own good."

Caroline smiled, grateful for any opportunity to see a Mikaelson sibling she liked or wasn't currently upset with, "It's fine, 'Lijah. You know I'm just easily startled," she started, "Um, do you want a drink or something? Wine…we might have wine," she bit her lip and smiled in an awkward nonverbal apology.

He laughed, shaking his head, "No, thank you, Caroline. I'm glad my brother finally has someone to teach him some manners."

Caroline raised her eyebrows quickly, assuming that Nik must be the reason he'd stopped by, "Oh, do you want to talk to him? I'm sorry, he's not here; he went to Stefan's to welcome him back from the honeymoon."

Elijah shook his head slowly once again, smiling gently at her. Katherine was right; he really is calming, it's weird, almost like some haze-inducing drug, but suddenly, she felt her nerves ease all that much more. Strange how siblings can have such different demeanors-Elijah made everyone feel relaxed, while Nik's presence usually excited a room

"Actually, I am here to see you."

"Me?" her eyebrows shot up. _What could he possibly want to talk to me about?_ Not that the two weren't close; it's just that Elijah never struck up a conversation unless she had an important reason to.

"Yes," he continued, "I wanted to talk to you…about Niklaus. I saw how he was acting at dinner the other night and-if I'm not overstepping my boundaries by saying this- I assume he has been like that towards you since you informed him of your pregnancy."

She only nodded, once.

Elijah sighed, "That's what I thought. I know that my brother can come off extremely cold when he wants to. Firstly, I'd like to apologize for any behavior of his they may've hurt you. And second, I want you to know that the way he is acting is not about you."

She blinked. _Not about me? It's OUR baby, what else could he be so pissed about?_

Elijah laughed once, humorlessly, "Let's sit down."

Somehow-despite her being the one that lived there- Elijah seemed to lead Caroline to the living room where the two of them sat down on the comfortable brown leather couch.

"I know what I'm saying may be very confusing to you, so let me explain. Niklaus is not mad at you. As hard as that may be to believe, you have to understand; Nik is projecting. It's what he's always done, it's just the type of person he is. When he doesn't know how to deal with something, his default reaction is anger. Not at any one person, just anger in general. He has made walls around himself since we were young, always trying to keep people out. When something breaks those walls, his defense is to push people away. He projects the anger he feels at whomever he is closest too, because his subconscious knows that they're the least likely to leave him."

Despite her current anger at him, her heart panged with sympathy for the poor, twisted man she loved. She had assumed that he had the complex that Elijah was describing, but saying it out loud made it real, made her hurt for him all the more, "I think…that I knew that, deep down. It's just…it's just so hard to see that rage on his face and hear the words he yells and not feel like he means them for me. When someone is yelling _at_ you, it's hard not to feel like you're the one they're mad at."

Elijah broke out into a sudden, bright smile, "You know…I understand what Niklaus sees in you. He's always been a very intelligent man and now he has a woman just as perceptive as he is."

Caroline grinned, glad for any mood-lightener, especially if it comes in the form of a compliment, "Thanks. But I still think his IQ would go up if he let go of his stubborn streak sometimes."

Elijah chuckled, nodding, "Yes, you're probably right. Stubbornness, at times, is just another form of stupidity."

They both laughed, thinking about Niklaus from their own respective view points.

"But, please, Caroline, take what I'm saying to heart. I know you understand him better than anyone outside of his family, but I also know how hard to tolerate he can become. Just promise me, that however bad he gets, you won't give up on him."

That was the first time Caroline had ever seen Elijah's brown eyes look pleading. He was begging her to stay by his brother's side.

She swallowed the thickness in her throat and nodded, "I know, Elijah. I will," she was thankful that her voice managed to sound strong.

Elijah half-smiled, from the hesitant, worried look on his face, he wasn't done, "I know you think that, Caroline. And I'm not saying you're not loyal or strong, because you are. And I'm glad for it, because Niklaus needs that. But…if one day, he ices you out completely, and you don't understand why he's doing it, you may feel like you have no choice, but to leave. You may feel as if he's not fixable. That is why I have decided to tell you something that I swore to Niklaus that no one outside our family would ever know. Whatever guilt I may feel for breaking that promise is erased at knowing the good this will do him in the long run. He needs you, and for you to stay, I think you need to know this; you have to understand _why _he is this way."

Caroline held her breath, on instinct, as if she could sense that something important was about to be said. She felt like she would break some kind of rule if she disturbed this silence, and honestly-despite being a very strong-willed person- she was a little too intimidated to say anything. So she only nodded in consent.

Elijah took that as a sign that she would not share these details with anyone, that she could be trusted, "You may already know some of this. For example, the fact that all of my siblings, including myself, are orphans. Or… were named as such by the state."

"Yes, Nik told me."

He nodded, expecting as much, "Did he ever tell you what happened to our parents?"

Her brows furrowed, "He said…that you're mother left you, not fit to raise anyone, and that you're father had died."

Elijah raised one eyebrow coolly; it disturbed Caroline on some level, it was like his natural-warmth was gone, she had never seen him this dead-serious, "Did my brother actually say that our father was dead or did he say something along the lines of 'he's as good as dead' or 'he's dead to me'?"

She frowned, trying to remember Nik's exact words, "I…I can't remember exactly; he didn't say much about your father at all, actually."

Elijah laughed, only once, "No. He wouldn't have."

The tone of his voice implied things Caroline wasn't sure she wanted to think about.

Elijah took a deep breath, "Caroline, this is going to be hard for you to hear. I know you love Niklaus very much, so I feel very rude telling you this, knowing that it's going to upset you. But you have to know…Our father is not dead. But we were taken away from him for a reason. Niklaus, biologically, is not my father's son. My mother had an affair with a man she worked with. My mother was never the A-typical stay at home Mom one would picture; she just wasn't the nurturing type. Naturally, she wasn't very…careful. And so, Niklaus was born from that and soon after, my father found out. My father was a very unstable…man, if he can be called that. He would become angry for little reasons. He was always so irritable," Elijah repressed a shiver, remembering, and so did Caroline, seeing as she had never seen this man scared, "He…drank a lot, to numb himself I suppose. He never was happy with his life. He would go off at any time. I remember Rebekah used to hide under Niklaus' bed, hugging his pillow to her ears to drown out all of Mikael's screaming."

Caroline, a compassionate woman by nature, reached out to comfort Elijah, putting a hand on his arm. She could see that, despite his elegant words, he was becoming shaken having to recount all this.

He smiled at her gratefully, but that look was still in his eyes; it was as if the memories of being a lost child were making him feel like one again, "Thank you for caring, Caroline," she smiled at the pun, he did not, "But this is the hard part."

_If the hard part hasn't been said yet, then is everything he just said the happy part? _She thought incredulously.

Elijah took a breath to calm himself, "My father…hated Niklaus, with every fiber of his being. He projected the feelings of fury and betrayal he felt for mother onto Niklaus. Caroline…Niklaus was abused, all the time, horribly. My father…Mikael…he-he would beat Nikalus. He used to use his switch-blade sometimes…He would even throw things at him, lamps, books, chairs. He would yell at him and call him 'useless' and tell him that nobody loved him, as he hit him over and over again. I think, though, that the words hurt Niklaus more than the…beating did. Niklaus only fought back once. He…failed. And after that, he didn't see any use in trying. Niklaus couldn't understand what he'd done to deserve any of it. He was only a kid, how could he? Naturally, he began to blame himself…And I always felt so...I felt like I failed him as a brother…because I didn't protect him. I…I tried, once, to get Mikael to back off, but he turned on me. He slapped me so hard across the face that I fell over. The look in his eyes, the deranged look…I'll never forget it. And I'll never forgive myself for giving up that day."

Caroline couldn't breathe. Her brain rejected Elijah's words. She didn't want to believe it, no matter how much it made sense, she didn't…she couldn't…She tried to calm her breathing, but it was no use, she kept seeing images of a young Niklaus-blond curls, innocent blue eyes, scared face- being smacked to the ground. Her brain conjured up images of his face now, battered with bruises and cuts. That finally made her crack.

She gasped sharply at the horrible visions, crying into her hands with a horrified expression on her face, "I…I'm…I'm _so _sorry, Elijah," her voice came out week, constricted because of the lump in her throat, watery from tears.

He laughed, smiling, trying to look reassuring, but his brown eyes were glistening, holding back emotion, "Sweet Caroline. You really are, you know? You're the best thing that could've possibly happened to my baby brother. That's the only reason I told you this, put you through this, because I want you to stay with him. It's probably selfish of me, seeing as I didn't do the best job, but I know you will protect him."

Caroline couldn't respond; she kept seeing those terrible images in her minds' eye.

Elijah seemed to realize this because he, graciously, continued the conversation without receiving a reply, "I hope you can see better now. See why Niklaus is acting so horribly right now. You see, it's not you he's mad at. He's probably not even truly mad. I think…he is scared. You know now what kind of father he had, so think about, why would he possibly want to be a father now? I may be wrong, I'm not right as often as everyone thinks, but…I think he is terrified of becoming Mikael, the one man he hates most in this world."

Caroline nodded, having choked back most of her tears, "I understand now. When I first told him, he-he looked like someone he'd seen a ghost. I didn't understand then why he would look so scared. Angry I would've gotten; he's never liked not being in control of things and when I just sprung it on him…well, I expected anger. But for the first few minutes, he couldn't hide the fear. And he…he actually asked me to 'get rid of it'. I was shocked, I was so angry at him for saying that. I mean, I knew neither of us had wanted children this soon, but…to kill a life that hasn't had a chance to live yet…I just couldn't believe he would suggest that. I know he has a good heart. He may try to come off like a bastard, but I know he's a good man, so I couldn't understand why he would want me to…do that. But I think I get it now…I think he was just grasping at straws, saying whatever he thought of that may help to squash his fear, prevent him from…becoming…you know."

Elijah looked happily shocked, "You…you really do understand the way my brother's brain works. The only person I've seen deduce him that well is Rebekah. Now, Caroline, your friends probably think you'd be better off not having to deal with Niklaus' issues, am I right?"

She hid her eyes, feeling ashamed for something that wasn't her fault. She nodded.

"Caroline…Niklaus does have issues. He is a scarred man. I think, maybe, he always will be. But I know that he is worth fighting for. He is brilliant and loyal and passionate and strong. He is a great man. But the problem is that he doesn't believe that. You have to make him see, Caroline. He has to see himself for who he really is; that's the only way he will ever accept being a father. You have to make him trust himself. Now, please, I am asking you this not only as his brother, but as a human being that can truly _see _Niklaus- don't give up on him. Ever. Please?"

Caroline closed her eyes, overwhelmed with anxiety and fear, what if she failed? But she was also overcome with love for this man-this beautiful disaster. She exhaled the breath she had been holding, metaphorically, since Elijah had started speaking. She opened her eyes and nodded, "I love Nik. I will stay by his side, forever."

_We love you for reading, but we'd love you even more if you review'd with comments and ideas! Come on, we'll give you a candy-coated JoMo!...or a Candice…you know, if you're a dude reading this. _

_-Pixie _


	3. You Only Know What I Want You To

**A/n: **_So sorry for the horrible wait, but both of decided to write our own versions of these scenes, because they're so vital to us, then edited them together. Enjoy. And Thanks again Boeey (Kaitlin)_

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing. _

_Where the lyrics came from for this chapter: watch?v=1_qNutVyb30 _

"_You only know what I want you to._

_I know everything you don't want me to._

_You think your dreams are the same as mine._

_Oh, I don't love you, but I always will."_

Caroline sighed. She was lying on their bed, waiting for him to get home. She'd already done the laundry, watched several episodes of 'Dance Moms' that she had missed because of the drama with Nik, and she'd even tried to cook dinner for them. She gave up on that last venture halfway through because even when she wasn't emotionally distressed, lord knew she was a terrible cook.

So there she was, her head in her hands, trying to distract herself from the image of little Niklaus being so hurt and alone. She expected Nik to be back at any moment, and as much as it scared her, she knew what she had to do. She had to confront him about it; she knew Nik better than anyone outside his family and she knew that if she kept letting him avoid the issue, the problem would never get solved, it would only get worse. She understood him well enough to realize that the only way he'd listen to her and come out from behind the walls he'd built is if they get everything out in the open. She didn't want to do this, but she knew it was the only way; she had to scare and shock him in order to break his defenses. But she'd be lying if she said the whole situation didn't scare her as well.

She held her breath as she heard the creak of the front door and the familiar clinking of his keys as he threw them on the counter. Here it was…she took a deep breath as she listened to his footsteps climb the stairs, expecting him to open the door to their room in 3…2…_Slam_.

_What?_ She thought incredulously as she heard another door close down the hall. She sighed as she realized he was in his studio. _I should've known him better than to think he'd come straight to me. _Klaus was many things, but open with his feelings he was not.

She heaved another sigh and got up off the bed. She would have to do this the hard way…not that there would ever be an easy way in a situation like this. Before her conversation with Elijah, she would've rolled her eyes at his behavior but she knew better now.

She prepared for the worst as she walked down the hallway to his studio, telling herself no matter how much he may yell at her, it wasn't her whom he was mad at.

She took a deep, determined breath as she opened the door. He knew she was there, it was obvious by his rigid stance; he had great hearing, he would've heard the door no matter how quietly she opened it. Besides, he once said he could recognize her perfume in a 50-foot crowd. However, the strokes of his brush on the canvas never stopped. She got distracted for a moment, tilting her head as she stared at the picture vividly coming into creation. Dark blues streaks and splashes of white, she didn't know what it was yet, but he probably didn't either. He paints that way a lot; he doesn't determine what it is he's actually painting until halfway through.

She had to break the silence though, it was getting painful, "Nik," her voice cut through the room like a chime to his ears; beautiful, but too loud in his head. He winced and opted to not turn around.

Her jaw set when she picked up on his stubbornness. _Why does he have to make everything even harder?_ But she knew yelling at him would be the opposite of helpful for her case, so she stayed silent as she walked up behind him. She placed her hand on his back carefully, in the way one who was trying not to spook a wild animal would. "Niklaus," she tried again.

He whipped his head around, "Do _not_ call me that," there was fire in his eyes, the clear blue becoming electric.

She swallowed nervously and nodded a little, "Sorry."

His brow puckered as he stared at her, he frowned, seeming confused for a second before his eyes lit up with horrified realization, "You never call me that," he mused, narrowing his eyes. "Someone told you."

Caroline blinked, "Told me what?"

He held back a growl, "Don't play dumb, sweetheart. We both know it doesn't suit you despite the blonde stereotype. Yesterday, if I'd snapped at you, you would've snapped back, but you apologized…meaning you didn't want to upset me…someone told you about Mikael."

She forgot sometimes just how perceptive he was, and that the 'being able to read each other' thing went both ways. She cleared her throat, she was strong; she could do this. He loved her, so what was she afraid of?

She nodded once, looking him straight in the eye, "I talked to Elijah."

"Shit!" he cursed, throwing his paint tray across the room, dark colors splattering along the far wall, "He promised me, the damned liar. Why in hell would he _tell_ you?"

Niklaus Mikaelson was an intimidating man when he wanted to be; many people he'd met in passing were probably still scared of him. But not Caroline. Caroline had never been, and would never be, afraid of him. He showed her the side that no one else ever got to see; the human, passionate, funny, sweet-to her at least- side. But even she had to take a step back at the ire in his eyes at that moment.

Despite her shock at seeing him like this, she still knew him; she could always see through his masks and, for that reason, she recognized that what she was watching right now was one of his infamous masks breaking to pieces before her. This was not restrained or forced or projected; this was all him, the anger he had been hiding. Not the fake anger he directed towards her yesterday, but real emotions and she knew she had struck home.

She kept her head held high as she answered him, "He told me because I needed to know, Nik. Please, if we're ever going to make this work, you need to listen to what I'm about to say."

He looked like he had loads more to say, but the rare dead-serious tone of her voice made him unable to say anything else, he just watched her with blazing eyes.

"And try as you might to push your family away, they can still see you better than anyone else. Elijah _knows _you, Nik. He knows you better than anyone. And, because of that, he knew how you would react to this baby. And, I've told you once and I'll tell you a thousand more times, Mikaelson, I will _not _'get rid' of this baby and I don't want to lose you because of that. Don't be mad at him, he was just afraid _for you_; he thought that if I didn't know why you were reacting the way you were, that I would get fed up with you and leave," she couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. "But, regardless, I'm glad he told me."

Klaus ground his teeth together as he forced himself to hear her words, "He had _no_ right, Caroline. You think you understand this, but you have _no_ idea!I made him swear to keep that secret for a reason. The only way I've stayed sane this long is because I pretend that part of my life never existed! It's my life, alright? I don't care if he thought he was 'protecting' me, he doesn't get to chose to open that black whole again!"

Caroline stared at him, trying to get her message across to him at the same time she tried to understand his. She could see his logic and she understood where it was coming from, but she wished she knew how to make him see things the way she did right now. It was almost impossible.

"I get that, Nik," she pleaded, "I really do. You think he took away your choice in the matter, right? And I agree, it wasn't his place to do that. But I _needed _to know. How do you expect us to have a life together if I don't know half of who you are? I'm begging you not to shut me out! I love you and I will do anything I can to help you, to make you see that-"

"God, Caroline," he half laughed, half shouted, sounding incredulous and frustrated at the same time, "Stop deluding yourself! You can't _FIX _me! I know you think you understand me, but you're still not getting it! The reason I shut you out from parts of myself is because _I don't like them. _I don't _WANT_ you to see those parts!Stop 'helping'! I was broken a long time ago and there is nothing either of us can do but ignore it!"

Caroline tried to register all the warring emotions on his face as he stormed out of the room: irritation, frustration, anger, fear, hurt, regret.

_Oh, my poor man,_ she thought. She could no longer be mad at him, just heart-broken for him. Frustrated at his stubbornness and crest-fallen that this shit life was given to him of all people.

_He is a good man, the fact that this has him so terrified proves that,_ she thought. _I just need to make him see it. _

She thought hard about it and she finally had an idea. The only way to make him accept this, and to get him to see, would be to make him remember what happened, from a detached point of view, to make him look at himself; who he really is. Then show him what a miracle a baby really is.

She found him again, hours later, sprawled out on the same couch she'd had infamous talk with Elijah on earlier, absentmindedly watching some show on World War I. His eyes were closed as he leaned his head back on the couch. For once, he didn't seem to notice she had entered. Either that or he was trying to pretend he hadn't noticed her appearance.

"Think back," was all she said as she knelt by the armrest he was resting his head against and ran her fingers through his curls.

His eyes flew open and he looked up, finding her eyes. "What?" He didn't sound angry anymore, just tired and confused.

She smiled gently and her expression was so mystifyingly serene that he-not for the first time- wondered if his girlfriend was an angel, "Think back, Nik. To when you were little, when Mikael was..mistreating you."

He stared at her dubiously, trying to judge if she'd lost her mind.

She shook her head, not laughing but the sad little smile stayed in place, "No, I'm not crazy. I'm not doing this to upset you. I don't mean remember it the way you do in your nightmares," at his shocked face, she went on softly, "Don't think I haven't noticed. I've seen you wake up sweating and after I talked with Elijah I put two and two together. But I don't mean to suggest you relive them like that. Actually, I don't mean for you to relive them at all. Just…just try to see it from someone else in the room, like a third party or something...just so you can see Elijah, Rebekah, Kol or Finn…whoever's easiest."

He still only stared up at her, so she explained, "I want you to see, Nik, that I'm not trying to change you; I'm trying to make you realize that this _isn't _ your fault."

As his lids closed, he thought he must be crazy for even trying this, but he did as she said for the sole reason that he loved her.

"Now, remember what happened, but not in your own body, look the Rebekah's scared eyes or Elijah's worried ones. Do you see yourself?"

He nodded, wincing as his eyes closed tighter, the events playing out; he could no longer feel the pain but he saw himself being beaten. It was strange, surreal, to live it through someone else. He couldn't help but flinch. He should be feeling Mikael's hits but all he felt was anger and fear; Elijah and Rebekah's emotions.

"Now tell me how _anything_ happening there is _your_ fault?" she spoke so fiercely that he was broken out of his daydream-day-nightmare more like- and stared into her face.

"Why did you do that?" he cursed himself for sounding so lost as he sat up.

She looked at him with warm eyes, trying to pour love out onto him, "Because I want you to see what I see; a strong, passionate, caring man that would do anything for his family. A man who was given a terrible hand in life, a man that should stop blaming himself for something that his evil father is responsible for."

He shook his head as she moved to sit beside him, taking his hands in hers. "Caroline, I can't- I-You can see it however you please, but that's not-"

She a her finger to his lips and gave him a pointed look that clearly read 'shut up and listen, you idiot'.

The anger crept back in his eyes at that gesture, threatening her to stop. _What is she doing?_

"I'm going to share one of my assumptions with you and all you have to do is nod if it's true. I'm begging you, please, just be honest with me."

It sounded easy enough. He could do this…couldn't he?

"Don't be angry, but Elijah mentioned to me that you never fought back. It made me start to wonder why, until I finally figured it out. You took all those beatings because you knew that Mikael had to have an outlet, that if it wasn't you…it might've been someone else. You blamed yourself for putting your family in danger because you thought that your family wouldn't have had any problems if you weren't born. You took the abuse so no one you loved would have to, but you also took it because a small part of you thought you deserved it. Am I right?" she spoke incredibly gently, slowly, trying not to set him off again. She was tip toeing the line of the sorest subject in the world.

His jaw dropped and he tried to nod but he couldn't bring himself to make the small movement. As he blinked in utter shock, feeling more vulnerable and open then he had in years, he suddenly realized how deep her love for him went. He felt warmed by it, a glow emanated from her almost, but he also felt…wrong, like he didn't deserve it, deserve her. His birth had caused so much pain for his family, why should he deserve all this love? A woman that wants to have a family with him…he didn't know how to deal with it. Most of all, he was terrified. What if the baby hated him? What if he himself wasn't capable of loving it? What if he turned in to everything he despised?

No. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't make her or the child suffer from that horror.

"Nik?" Caroline asked tentatively, watching as his face became, once more, devoid of all emotion.

He couldn't handle this. He had to get out…Elijah started all of this. Elijah. He didn't want to upset Caroline anymore- that much he was sure of- so his unconscious mind decided to take it all out on his older brother. He looked at Caroline sadly before getting up and rushing out of the room.


	4. Don't Try to Fix Me

**A/n: **_Since you guys were so cool in waiting for chapter 3, voila here is chapter 4 posted at the same time. Originally, chapter 3 was going to be both (11 pages) and be the longest chapter yet probably, but we thought it was too much plot for one chapter. OkBooey31 wrote most of THIS chapter. So be sure to PM her with your comments too. And by the way, I DO have a tumblr, and I would post this there but my tumblr freezes my computer whenever I log in…_

**Disclaimer: **_Ownership: Nothing. _

"_I'm fine in the fire._

_I feed off the friction._

_Don't try to fix me."_

Katherine's keen ears heard the car door slam shut and her eyes snapped up to the window from her copy of _What to Expect When You're Expecting_ where she could make out a black SUV in the driveway. She rolled her eyes before looking at Elijah. Her husband seemed oblivious to the fact that his always-angry-about-something brother was about to pound on the front door as he watched the ten thirty news.

"Are you expecting company?" she snapped when, as she predicted, there were several impatient knocks on their elaborate front door.

"No," Elijah said, looking away from the TV calmly.

"Oh. Well it's your brother, his car is sitting in the driveway. Doesn't he know it's rude to come and barge into someone's home at this hour?"

"Katherine, dear," Elijah sighed at her intolerance; he loved her, but their demeanors were quite different sometimes. "He's my brother and I wouldn't refuse him at _any_ hour. I wasn't expecting him per se, but I had a feeling he'd be coming," he sighed darkly, looking away from his wife's gaze.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Well he needs to stop being so dependent. He's an _adult_, after all."

Elijah turned to face her, trying his best not to snap at her, "You know very well why he's dependent," he chided gently. "He would die before he let anyone know, but he needs his family. And we need him. If it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't even be in contact with any of my siblings. As his older brother, I'm obligated to help him in his times of need…especially since I wasn't much help in our childhood," he swallowed his shame and continued, trying to make his wife see his side. "Would you ever refuse Elena if you were in my shoes?"

"No," she said fiercely, if there was one thing in this world she loved unconditionally, besides Elijah and her unborn baby, it was her twin sister even if she wasn't too keen to show it. "But _only_ if she had tried to figure it out on her own at first. _He_ obviously hasn't even attempted…he never does," she said, removing her feet from Elijah's lap, clearly dismissing him to go answer the door. She hated when he tried to be reasonable with her and attempted to make her believe he had the upper hand with all his moral talk. Katherine had always felt the need to make it _explicitly_ clear that _no one_ influenced her thoughts and opinions, even her beloved husband, and she frequently told him such by snapping, _"Save it for the courtroom where it matters"_ and walking away.

Elijah made his way to the door as quickly as possible and opened it without a second thought, revealing a very irritated Klaus on the other side. "Niklaus!" he said warmly. "What brings you by at this hour?"

Klaus growled and stalked inside. "Don't pretend, Elijah; you're smarter than that," Klaus scoffed. "Why the bloody hell did you talk to Caroline?" he asked, glaring daggers at his brother. "You had no right t-"

Elijah sighed and placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder, ushering him further into the house, interrupting the rant he knew was coming. "Not here, Niklaus," he said with a pointed look at his fuming brother before leading the way to his office. Once they were safely behind the shut door, and out of the range of Katherine's keen ears, Elijah listened patiently to his brother's rant.

"You had no right to tell her those things! It was easier when she only knew the me I wanted her to know, 'Lijah! It's not your business to discuss _my_ personal problems with _my_ girlfriend. This is my life and I did not want that wound reopened. I thought I could _trust _you to keep a damned secret," he snapped.

"You _can_ trust me, Niklaus, and this is not an issue about whether or not I have broken that trust."

"Then what is this _betrayal_ about, brother?" Klaus sneered.

"I'm genuinely concerned for yours and _Caroline's_ wellbeing. You can deny it all you want, but she is the best thing to ever happen to you. She keeps you sane, keeps you.._you_. You could see it in her eyes at dinner the other night that she was upset. I guess you're right; it wasn't my place to tell her, but, Niklaus, I was worried. I didn't want her to leave you because of something like this. You must understand that I curse myself everyday when I remember that I didn't protect you and that's what I'm trying to do now; if she didn't know the reasons behind your madness, I was afraid she wouldn't be able to put up with it anymore. . And, you couldn't have made it less obvious that you are not excited about her pregnancy. Do you not care for her, Niklaus?" Elijah asked, in a gentle attempt to push Klaus in the direction he knew his brother wanted to go. It's not that he actually believed the implications of his question; he knew his brother was in love with the girl, but he wanted Niklaus to reflect on his own actions, not Elijah's.

Klaus sighed and sat down, pinching the bridge of his nose in the process. "Yes… Of course, I care for her…_so _much, I'm bloody crazy about her, but…but," he paused to gather his thoughts and push away the vulnerability he felt. He was an adult and would act as such, not like some schoolboy crying about a bully. Klaus took a deep breath to steady himself before continuing. "Caroline should have children, she deserves to have that joy, but I…I'm the last person on earth that should be the father of _her_ child…someone as fucked up as I am doesn't deserve…she shouldn't have to give up all her hopes and dreams for me. I can't do it, 'Lijah."

"She's incredibly worried about you when she should be worried about herself, Niklaus. I'm not an expert but I can assume that having to deal with your attitude cannot be healthy for her or your child. I can imagine that, right now, she could use the support that she's selflessly given you over the past couple of years. "

"And I want nothing more than to give it to her," Klaus countered. "But...but… I'm not cut out to be a… a _father, _'Lijah. I'm a mon-…I shouldn't have children. What if…What if I'm like him..," he whispered, averting his eyes from Elijah's gaze as he stared at a document on the large, oak desk, not comfortable with showing his fear to anyone.

_There it is, _Elijah thought with a sigh before walking slowly to Klaus' side and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. It upset him to see his confident-to the point of arrogance sometimes- little brother so lost and confused and vulnerable. "Listen to me, Niklaus. You _are not _a monster," he said slowly to emphasize his point. "Mikael is at fault, here…for the worst in _all_ of us. You _are _a good man, Niklaus."

"But I'm not _you_, brother. I'm not good nor moral nor brave, I'm a coward. I hide from everything. You are so much more than I will _ever_ be, 'Lijah."

"That's not true, Niklaus and I refuse to accept that claim. I was the one who stood by while my brother was being hurt. _You _are the one that took all of it without saying a word. You are the _seventeen-year-old_ who had had more than his fair share of troubles who still brought his family back together. That responsibility should have been his _twenty two-year-old_ brother's. That requires quite a deal of bravery. I'm being honest, Niklaus, I'm not trying to comfort you; you are the strongest man I know. "

Klaus snorted, "Because I was some dependent child who needed to _cower_ behind his siblings."

Elijah shook his head, "No, you're still not getting it. Why do you refuse to see yourself for what you are? Ask yourself this, brother. Where would any of us be had you _not_ needed us? You have been, and always will be, the glue, Niklaus that holds us together. We are family and we help each other. Always and forever. And now, Caroline has been added to our family- do not argue, Niklaus," Elijah added, seeing Klaus' dubious look. "You're unmarried status matters not; Caroline Forbes has become part of this family simply by the fact that she has become a vital part of you and we've all welcomed her with open arms and I think it's time for you to show her that. I highly doubt that sweet Caroline would ever make you do something she didn't think you could handle. You can do this," he looked straight into his younger brothers eyes, brown meeting blue, as he took his shoulders and tried to wordlessly communicate to him that believed in him.

A knock on the door interrupted the moment and as inconvenient as it was, Elijah was thankful that it gave his brother time to consider what he had said. "Yes, dear?" he called to Katherine.

His wife opened the door and took in the two brothers, quickly analyzing the situation with narrowed eyes. "I'm going to bed," she announced haughtily, flipping her brown curls over her shoulder.

"I'll be along shortly, Katherine."

The brunette 'hmphed' and strode out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Elijah rolled his eyes in annoyance before turning his attention back to his brother. Klaus was still sitting there, eyes staring blankly at the same document on his desk as he considered everything Elijah had told him.

Klaus knew Elijah was right, his brother had always been able to make him see sense when he lacked it, when he lacked the control he so desperately desired. Klaus raised his blue eyes to his brother's face and nodded slowly.

"I'm just not ready for this, 'Lijah."

Elijah sighed but smiled as he put his hand back on Klaus' shoulder and gave him a firm but light-hearted shake. "And when is any man?" he said with a slight laugh, and to his relief Klaus released a very brief chuckle before standing up. Elijah watched as the hint of humor drained from Klaus' eyes and the uncertainty settled back in his intense gaze. "Everything shall be alright, Niklaus. Try not to worry, no matter how justified your reasons behind it are," Elijah told him, placing a hand on both of his younger brother's shoulders again and squeezing them affectionately.

To Elijah's relief, Klaus nodded.

"Thank you, brother."

"Of course, Niklaus."

Convinced that Caroline would be punishing him and he would be sleeping on the couch tonight, Klaus returned home and snuck inside quietly. However, he didn't find his pillow, blankets, or pajama bottoms laying out on the couch so he ventured upstairs, finding the door to their bedroom wide open. Klaus silently got ready for bed and slipped under the covers beside Caroline.

He laid there in the darkness, staring up at the ceiling as he thought about what Elijah had told him and he suddenly realized that Caroline had been trying to show him the same thing; none of it was his fault. He couldn't have done anything to change Mikael's mind; that man's decisions and actions were his and his alone. The pain in the family was caused by his parents, not him. After all, how could he have controlled his own birth or who his real father was or how Mikael would react to that?

His eyes widened and he shook his head at himself as he finally saw what everyone had been trying to tell him. But simply seeing the truth didn't make it any easier to accept it when he had had the lie pounded into him for _years_.

"Nik?" Caroline asked groggily as she rolled over to peer at him through the darkness. "Where were you?"

"Elijah's. Go back to sleep, love."

Caroline groaned but didn't greet him with anger like he'd expected, instead her voice was soft, and tired, "I hope you weren't hard on him. He…he just wanted to help. He's worried about us…about _you_. He's your brother…maybe he didn't have a right to tell me what he did; I get it- that's your battle to fight. But…as your brother he has a right to worry about you."

He didn't respond so Caroline placed a hand on his arm, tracing the lines on his tattoo. "It's ours, Nik; we created life, that has to mean something to you. I understand why you're afraid." he rolled over on his side to say something to her, but she continued before he could. "No, stop acting like I'm wrong and listen to me. I know you're scared and I know why, but running from that and pretending it's not there, is only going to hurt you even more. You have every right in the world to not want this, and don't shut me out when I say this Nik, but I get it-why would you ever want to be what your father was to a little baby? But you have to realize you are not him.

"Please, Nik, I love you, just realize what that means. Do you really think I would choose to be with a man if he was anything less than amazing? You know I have high standards," he wanted to laugh at her endearing words, but her tone was serious so he kept his mouth shut, "And if you were the monster you think you are, I would've never even agreed to go out with you. I'm not saying I went through anything near as horrible as you did, but my parents were never much of parents either and you know that. But it still effects a person the same way. I'm not sure if I'll be the 'Mom of the Year' or whatever, but I want to try and that's the difference. But that's just it…it's an effect of everything you went through. It's not who you are. You," she put her hand over his heart, "Are a _great _man. _Please_ believe me."

He shocked her when he laughed humorlessly. "You know, that's what Elijah said," he said, beginning to feel cornered. "Between the two of you, I can't really see a way out."

"What can I say, there's strength in numbers…even if it was unintentional."

He was quiet for a few moments. "As a child, I wanted to have parents so much that even when they were gone, I didn't want to tarnish their memory by making it their fault, so…I blamed myself. But…" he took a deep breath and put an arm around her, pulling her completely to his side. "This is hard for me."

"Oh, Nik…" she breathed as he looked back up at the ceiling, all his repressed emotions evident in his voice as he _finally _opened up to her.

"I've been…difficult, to say the least, over the past couple days and I'm sorry. You thought that it was your fault, you always do…I know. I can read you like a book, sweetheart," he said, turning his head to glance at her confused expression. "But no more. I promise you."

"Can you please speak English? Like, _American_ English? It's late and I'm tired," she smiled through her yawn, sounding relieved at this change in him.

If the situation were any different, any less serious, Klaus would have chuckled, but instead, he gulped in order to swallow his fear and nerves. "I…I just want you to know that I'm grateful that you think I can do this- both being a father and being this good person you keep seeing- and…and I promise to try…for you."

Caroline snuggled closer to him. She tilted her face up so she could kiss him gently before curling into his side and resting her head on his shoulder. "I love you," she whispered as her fingers absentmindedly traced patterns around scars on his chest as if she was playing connect-the-dots.

"So…what happens now? With our spawn?"

"Oh hush, you," she said with a playful swat and kind smile. "I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow to make sure this is really happening, that we're really having a _baby_."

"If this turns out to be false then I'm going to feel like the biggest prick in the world."

"Don't worry, you already are the world's biggest prick, but I still love you."

Klaus pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows but otherwise ignored her statement. "And after the appointment?"

Caroline sighed, "Well, I think it depends on how far along I am, but I guess we break the news to everyone else…"

"You think and guess? You're words inspire such confidence."

"Hey, I told you that I'm not ready for this either. I know next to nothing about being pregnant."

"But you used to babysit! Surely that has to count for something!"

"Yeah, when I was in high school! And, that's child_care_, not child _bearing_, Nik," she laughed. "Don't worry, Elena's bringing me some books and stuff tomorrow that go into all the gory details."

"Fantastic."

"We'll figure this out and get through it, Nik. Every thing's going to be okay," she yawned.

Klaus nodded and pressed his lips to her temple. He desperately wished he could reassure her the same way she did him, but all he could do at the moment was offer his support and work on accepting himself as she saw him.

But, for Caroline, that was enough.


	5. Mistrusting Family

**A/n: **_Alrighty….Okay, I'm never saying that word again. Anyway, this is a freaking long chapter. Sixteen and a half pages. I swear we didn't mean it to be this long, but you guys deserve it for waiting. It was going to be up yesterday but Kaitlin, my wonderful co-author, has to work, unlike me, and therefore did not have as much time to edit. I debated splitting this into two chapters, but I just couldn't find the right place in the plot to cut it off. So enjoy, alert, and review._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything in this story._

"_You realize that our mistrust of the future makes it hard to give up the past."-Chuck Palahnuik_

"Why did I agree to go to this thing again?" Nik groaned as he ran a hand through his already disheveled curls.

"Because I'm adorable and you can't resist my puppy dog face?" the hopeful tone of her voice matched the look in her eyes. "And besides, it's not like you have a choice. You're _entire _family is here. You haven't seen Finn and Kol in forever, Nik."

Both blondes knew that the real reason he'd said yes when she'd asked him to go to Katherine's ridiculous dinner party was his guilt for his behavior the last few days. He honestly did feel horrible for making her feel like he blamed her and hated the child. But honestly…he didn't. How could he? It was a life that they'd created together. How could someone ever hate their own child? That was just one more thing to add to the list of 'Things That Confused Him About Mikael'. He hated fathers. He always had; after he graduated high school and found an apartment of his own, he used to throw darts at an old torn picture of Mikael on Father's Day.

He actually was disarmed by what he felt, what he felt for a being that wasn't even born yet. He felt…warm…thinking about their baby. He wasn't sure why and it made him sick to his stomach that his subconscious still _couldn't _accept the idea of being a father. But, nonetheless, the feeling had amplified three days ago when the ultrasound equipment picked up the faced paced _thump, thump, thump _of his unborn child's heartbeat and now, it was all he could hear.

And worst of all, was the warmth that spread within his chest whenever he thought of his unborn child, part of him despised that feeling. He had caused so much pain; his mother ran from them, Mikael had been driven to drinking he'd hated him so much, his siblings would cry and hide. The look in 5 year old Rebekah's eyes as she watched…that heart-broken look had haunted him for years. He had been a coward; he'd blocked out anything he'd felt and all the things that he couldn't deal with. The only thing that had held him together was clinging to his family. And now, Caroline.

Perhaps that was why he felt such an aversion to this dinner. He had never particularly liked his second oldest brother, Finn, even when they were children. Finn was only a year and a half older than him, opposed to Elijah's five, but they had never seen things the same. Nik had always been bold, if he'd wanted something- that didn't have to do with Mikael-he'd go after it and get it, and didn't usually think about the repercussions it had. Finn had always been over-careful, a suck-up, always telling Mikael _exactly_ what he wanted to hear.

He remembered the one time he'd gotten Finn to climb the big oak tree so they could sit on the roof together while Kol and Rebekah had been napping, otherwise Klaus wouldn't have bothered with asking Finn to play. He'd _thought_ Finn was doing it to have fun with him. Finn stopped halfway up the tree, saying that they'd get in trouble but Klaus wouldn't take no for an answer. He used his blue puppy dog eyes that Rebekah always said were quite persuasive, but the older brother had adamantly denied, unwittingly causing Nik to lose his balance when he got mad at Finn and fall from the tree. Nik had broken his arm and Finn had watched his brother slip, staring with wide eyes. For two weeks after that, Finn tried desperately to apologize, but Nik recognized the look in his brother's eyes as he attempted to apologize. Finn's eyes said that he was truly sorry, but that he also felt like the whole idea was stupid in the first place. Nik never accepted the apology. He didn't speak to Finn at all for the first week.

When Mikael found out about Nik's broken arm, he had closed his eyes tightly and asked what'd happened. Nik stared at the wall. Finn told the story. He told it accurately, free of bias for either side. By then, Finn knew what the face his father was wearing meant; Nik was in trouble. Finn prayed to himself that night that night, prayed that his little brother would be okay in the morning, prayed that maybe Mikael would pass out from his earlier drinking before he could do too much damage.

But the situation only got worse from there on. Their personalities continued to clash as they grew older and it was all finally brought to a head when Klaus was eleven, Finn twelve, nearly thirteen, and Elijah sixteen. Klaus shook his head quickly, ridding the thoughts of that horrific incident. He might have opened several doors he thought were bolted shut in the past few days, but Klaus knew he was nowhere near ready to deal with the emotional distress that door held securely behind its confines.

"Nik?" Caroline asked hesitantly.

His head snapped up, flicking his eyes from the table he was sitting at to the woman standing in front of him, as his ears and head pounded repeatedly: _thump, thump, thump, thump_. "Hmm?"

She shook her head in exasperation, "You do that a lot, you know? Go off into another world thinking."

"What can I say? I'm a man of few words."

"And I'm the next president of the United States," Caroline scoffed sarcastically.

Klaus scanned her face for any signs of anger or sadness, but her lips tugged up at one corner, assuring him that she found it amusing or endearing rather than hurtful.

He tried for a smile, "Yes, I…tend to forget the people around me sometimes," he sighed, "It's just easier that way, I guess… inside my head."

Caroline smiled morosely in understanding, but the expression on her face was still warm. Klaus never understood how she could do that, have something make her heartache but still smile like the only light in the room. She stepped up behind him to lean down and wrap her arms around his neck, "I know, Nik."

He blinked, and tilted his head back to look up at her, blue eyes filled with doubt, "Do you?"

She pursed her lips at him in annoyance at his little faith in her. "Finn?"

The way she always hit the nail on the head like that sort of unnerved him, but he found it no longer upset him as much as it used to. Sure, having someone see past all your walls, look into your eyes and see your soul, made you feel exposed and vulnerable, and naturally, made Klaus angry since he worked so hard to put up an impenetrable front. But it also meant having someone who could look him in the eyes and immediately know what was wrong; and that was something he'd never had before. If not heart-warming, it was, at the very least, convenient.

So, he nodded stiffly.

Her brows creased, pulling together in interest and worry, "I know that you don't want to see him, but are you mad at him or just uncomfortable around him? I remember you told me once that you and Finn never saw eye to eye."

Nik sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he felt an anxiety headache coming on, "No. We did not. Finn was always hesitant… I never was," he shrugged, realizing his voice sounded bitter.

Caroline's furrowed brows had not yet relaxed, "There's something more, isn't there?"

He looked at her, fighting to keep his eyes from narrowing, to keep himself from shutting her out again. It was hard though, like fighting against the instinct to breathe when you're drowning. It had always been about survival instincts, what worked best for the situation he was in.

He heaved a sigh and looked back at the table, not wanting to meet her eyes, "When we were younger…Finn, despite his anger against Mikael, hell, despite _all _our anger against Mikael…Finn couldn't stop hoping that someday it would stop, that the father he knew would come back," Klaus could feel himself spitting the words out. "Finn could never lie, he was always a brown nos-" he stopped himself suddenly, looking up to see Caroline's eyes boring into him. His chest tightened upon seeing that look, like the longer he sat there under that gaze, the tighter the walls seemed to press in.

He stood up from the table brashly, "I'll go get dressed for dinner."

Caroline could only stare at his back as he walked away. She saw his breathing become heavier when he had started to explain, she saw the panic and anger in his eyes but she let it go. He had made remarkable progress in the past few days and Caroline knew that if she pushed much harder, the progress that they had made would be lost. _That man's walls sure are high, I better find a damn-good battering ram. _

* * *

Caroline took a deep breath as she gave herself a once over, paranoid that people would be able to see that she was pregnant even though she was only about two months into the pregnancy. A lot of their family and friends would be here, and even if she didn't know or like all of them very well, she still wanted to look good when they announced the news. If they announced the news, more like, both of them very likely to chicken out. Especially since Katherine would most likely announce _her_ news first, just to overshadow them. _"Hey, well, yeah, I'm pregnant too, guys." _That would just sound lame. She had to stop thinking about this in such juvenile terms, she chastised herself, she was going to be a mother in less than a year for God's sake.

She was wearing one of her top five nicest black dresses, it had a spaghetti strap on one shoulder and a sort of draped sleeve over the other arm, it was cinched at the waist and flowed out gracefully to just above her knees. She may have also had another motive for wearing the dress. Nik had told her multiple times that he loved her in that dress, probably having something to do with the way it left half of her back bare. He always did love her neck. She was hoping that if he was…excited and in a decent mood, then he might be more accepting of the events inevitably about to go down at dinner. Besides, it wasn't like she could wear all of her normal clothes for much longer, anyways.

"Caroline," his lovely voice broke her out of her thoughts, "As much as I don't want to, we have to go in. This was your idea, love, and staring at the doorknocker won't delay anything that's bound to happen this evening."

She appreciated that he was trying now, trying to bear through all of this _with_ her, instead of completely pushing her out of his comfort zone he tended to try to stay in. She could read the struggle in his eyes though; he was consciously trying to hear whatever she would tell him, but his subconscious was screaming at him to turn around and drive back home and spend all night in his studio.

She took a deep breath and nodded, "Alright, let's do this."

He shook his head at her, a smile in his eyes, and she was glad to have the Nik she was used to back for a minute, "Sweetheart," he put his hand on her arm, "Let go."

She blinked, "What?"

He rolled his eyes, "Your necklace, you're toying with it. You always mess with your jewelry when you're nervous. Let go or you'll strangle yourself."

She expelled a laugh and released the string of gold from her fingers, "Right. I forgot how perceptive you are, sometimes."

"Unsettling, isn't it? Having someone be able to _really_ see you?"

She somehow understood that he wasn't just talking about how _he_ sees _her_. She nodded and smiled as she turned to knock on the door and within seconds, they heard rustling behind the ornate blue door as it opened. They expected to see Elijah, as he was the one who still lived in the house that all of the Mikaelson siblings had lived in until they began to adventure out in the world and live their own lives. But, strangely enough, Elijah wasn't the one to answer the door. Klaus nearly growled when he saw the woman holding open the door and Caroline vaguely remembered her face from Elijah and Katherine's wedding three years ago. Caroline may not have known the woman very well but she was positive that she didn't like the smug expression on the red head's face as she regarded both her and Klaus.

Her jade eyes sparked sadistically she tilted her head, the shoulder-length, loosely curled auburn hair falling to the side as she smirked, "Well, damn. I heard you were coming, Klaus. They say you've changed," she laughed mirthlessly. "I told them I'd believe it when I saw it. I didn't think you'd have the guts to come, especially since Finn is here."

Klaus glared at her, his clear blue eyes solidifying into sharp ice, "Sage. It's been a long time, but not long enough. I believe whatever issues that are between Finn and I are just that- mine and Finn's. So I'm sure you won't mind me asking to keep your pesky nose out of it," he quipped, his tone leaving no room for argument.

By this time, Caroline's eyebrows had almost disappeared under bangs. _Um, excuse me, who's the bitchy ginger and who in hell would name their kid after something that belongs in a kitchen cabinet?_

The woman stepped back, letting the two into the foyer. Caroline didn't like the wicked glint in her eyes as she looked her over, "So, men really do prefer blondes."

Nik growled very low in the back of his throat as he protectively wrapped an arm around Caroline's shoulders, "Yes, despite the stereotype, they are quite intelligent."

"Well, I guess there are exceptions to every rule," Sage said nonchalantly, the ghost of her smirk still on her face as she tried to provoke him.

Klaus' eyes narrowed, "Say another rude word to Caroline and I won't be tempted to do something very ungentlemanly."

Caroline was not unused to the fire in his eyes, but their words were throwing her off. Had Nik…gone out with this woman?

She looked over at him and smiled a little, "Thanks for the defense, Nik, but I got it," she turned her gaze back on Sage, "So, who are you and what did you do to your parents that made them feel the need to name their daughter after a seasoning ingredient?" she snapped. Caroline didn't turn to see, but she had a feeling the look on Nik's face was just as priceless as the one on Sage's.

She glared at Caroline, "I was named after my grandmother, actually. But since we're on the subject of stupid decisions, what made you decide to throw bleach on your hair?"

Caroline's jaw dropped, even without the added hormones, she was always prone to being drawn into cat-fights and this girl was asking for it. "Trust me; it's natural," she smirked. "But, if you don't believe _me_, and why would you- me being blonde and all- go ahead and ask Nik. He'll tell you that the carpet matches the drapes."

She normally hated that metaphor, it was crass and tacky, but she was feeling very possessive of Klaus tonight and she impulsively threw that in to show how close she was to him. And her uncharacteristic remark seemed to have proved its purpose as Sage stood there, bristling as she thought of a comeback. Nik was standing back, with his arm now around Caroline's waist, as he stared in open shock at the cat-fight that was emerging. He hated Sage too much to even think to hold Caroline back or tell her to stop. And honestly, he wanted to laugh.

"Why are you standing in the middle of the bloody foyer, Nik? Get out of the way," Rebekah's smug voice interrupted from behind them. Caroline turned to see the youngest Mikaelson striding up the entryway with Matt Donovan close behind her. "Oh, for the love of God," she drawled, her voice bitter as she laid eyes on Sage. "You're still around?"

"I was just asking her the same question, 'Bekah," Nik said, his eyes not leaving Sage's face as he greeted his sister, his own wicked smirk plastered on his face as Rebekah came to stand beside him. Now that the Mikaelson tag team had been reunited, Caroline figured that Sage wouldn't last three minutes with both Rebekah and Klaus. So, she stepped away from Klaus' side as the three continued to regard each other coldly. Clearly this was family business.

"What's going on?" Matt whispered in her ear as Caroline stood beside him instead.

"I have no idea. But apparently this bitch thinks she's tough shit. She won't last two seconds with _both _Rebekah and Nik putting her in her place," Caroline responded with a smirk.

Elijah suddenly appeared, seeming to decide it was the right moment to walk in, "Oh, Niklaus, Caroline, Rebekah, and Matt, you're all here! Wonderful, I was just…" after a moment, he seemed to notice the tense atmosphere. He turned to his brother with a questioning glance and was met with one of Klaus' hard stares and Rebekah's smug, up-to-no-good expression.

Elijah cleared his throat awkwardly to interrupt the tension, "Right. I seem to have missed something. Is everything alright?" he frowned.

Caroline and Matt watched as the other three in the room exchanged glances, daring each other to answer Elijah's query as the eldest Mikaelson watched with raised eyebrows and an expectant look on his features.

"No, 'Lijah," Rebekah said, a sweet smile playing on her lips as she turned her azure eyes towards her eldest brother and innocently batted her eyelashes at him. "Just greeting Sage, introducing her to Nik's _girlfriend _and Matt. After all, it _has _been quite awhile si-"

Elijah groaned as he fixed all of them with a meaningful glance, letting it linger on Sage, Rebekah, and Klaus. "I am only going to say this once so you all better listen. This evening is very important to Katherine. She just wants all of us together to celebrate the present and future as a family and there will be absolutely _no_ feuding over the past," he whispered urgently. "Now come in and at least _act _civilized."

"Of course I understand, Elijah. I don't want to ruin _yours and Katherine's _evening," she said with an apologetic smile and understanding nod before striding back towards the chattering that was taking place inside the house. Rebekah rolled her eyes at the red head's departure before kissing Elijah on the cheek.

Klaus' eyes narrowed once again as he watched Rebekah greet their brother. "Bekah…what're you doing? You _live _here. No need to greet him like that," he said.

Matt quickly glanced at Klaus and back to Rebekah before settling his gaze on his feet as they suddenly became very interesting. The blonde took his hand firmly and stared her brother down.

"I'm ashamed that you would think that I would be here in their hair…disgusting. They're married! Haven't you heard of _privacy_, Nik?" she said sharply.

Klaus just stared as he felt his eyes grow wide as he digested what Rebekah was indirectly telling him, "What the hell are you saying, Rebekah? Did he," Klaus accused, nodding his head in Matt's direction, he swallowed, not wanting to finish the question in his head,"Are you pr-"

"No!" Rebekah interrupted, "I've just moved in with him, that's all. It's not a crime, Nik…do I need to remind you of your current living arrangements?"

If Klaus' question had not been so ironic, Caroline would have burst out laughing.

"Hi, Elijah," Caroline said sheepishly as Rebekah and Klaus continued to argue over Rebekah's living arrangements, feeling like she had just been reprimanded by her father as she moved to stand back beside Klaus. Elijah was so proper that he, without intending to, had a way of making you feel guilty when you actually hadn't done anything, "I'm sorry about that… she caught me off guard."

"That's alright, Caroline," Elijah said, sparing her a smile and shaking Matt's hand as he ushered both of them deeper into the house. He gave Rebekah a shove in the same direction. "Everyone is out back for the time being. We'll be along shortly," he told Caroline and Matt with a kind smile before turning to Klaus. "You probably should've told Caroline about Sage…_before_ she met her."

Klaus frowned and growled at Elijah's accusatory statement. "Please spare me the grief, brother. I didn't realize she would be here. I thought she and Finn had gone their separate ways."

"If only," Elijah sighed. Nik raised an eyebrow at his brother showing distaste towards anyone. Elijah frowned, realizing what he had said. "Don't tell Finn I said that. He still thinks I find her delightful."

Nik pressed his lips together to hold back a laugh, "She's always been hanging onto Finn's every breath. It only got worse when I told her to bugger off in high school. I don't think she was used to having any man reject her. She does it to spite me…to spite all of us since Finn's so smitten with her, I'm sure of it. And the man thinks you find her lovely? Finn's more gullible than I remember."

Elijah face contorted with displeasure at the memory, "I just hope Finn realizes this before she gets him to marry her. I'd hate to think that she could ever get any of Grandmother's fortune…that is what she's after, of course."

Nik raised an eyebrow and smirked, "I trust Caroline completely and I _still _haven't told her about that money."

"Why not?"

He laughed, remembering a conversation he once had with Caroline, "Caroline can't stand rich people," he smirked, "Now, brother, I could use a drink."

Elijah shook his head but smiled and clapped Klaus on the shoulder anyways, pushing him in the same direction Caroline, Matt, and Rebekah had gone in a moment earlier. He was relieved that, despite the current situation, his younger brother seemed to be in a better mood than he was when he had stormed in the other night.

They walked out to the large backyard where everyone was chatting and making small talk. Klaus walked with Elijah, tumbler in hand, to greet his sister-in-law. He grasped the glass even more tightly as he saw the red-headed bombshell hanging off his brother's arm dotingly as they laughed at something Katherine said. He hated insincerity. And the main reason he and Sage had never gotten along is that he had been one of the only people that could always tell when she was faking, which she was more often than not.

"Thank you for having us over tonight, Katherine," he said kindly.

"You're welcome anytime, Klaus. You know that," Katherine said warmly with a laugh, as she squeezed his arm. Klaus was confused until he saw the look in her eyes and realized that she was just keeping up with appearances.

"Fantastic," he replied, unable to keep the hint of sarcasm from his tone as he glanced at Elijah before turning his eyes to his second brother. "Finn," he said gruffly, nodding in the brunette man's direction.

"Niklaus. It's been far too long, brother," Finn replied in much the same tone, holding out his hand even though Klaus knew that the inevitable hand shake was the last thing either of them wanted to do. Forcing his walls up as high as they would go, Klaus reached out and gripped his brother's hand, squeezing it a little harder than necessary to assert his dominance over his older brother.

"That it has, Finn."

"Aww, isn't that sweet. But, you honestly couldn't wait for me to get here to start with all the lovey-dovey family bonding? That would have been the least you could do since you never come to see poor, pitiful me," another extremely cocky voice said from behind the group.

Klaus narrowed his eyes and fought the smirk that pulled at his lips, forcing himself to stay serious as he turned to see his youngest brother, Kol, leaning against the door frame, smirking at the scene in front of him. The youngest Mikaelson's eyes were alight with a rogue spark, as they always were.

"Still haven't learned that world does not, indeed, revolve around you," Klaus greeted.

The two stood their glaring at each other in a battle of wills until Kol cracked a smirk and a sarcastic laugh that were nearly identical to Klaus', "It's good to see you, Kol," Klaus said and he genuinely meant it this time. He loved his little brother, no matter how much of a pain in the arse and trouble-maker he had been in college as he started his baseball career.

"Sorry, I'm late, 'Lijah. Apparently the fact that I told him I was out of town this weekend on _family _business meant nothing to my agent. The git called me not ten minutes ago to discuss the terms of my new contract."

"That's alright, brother. If you need me to look over anything, let me know. We don't need a repeat of the last time," Elijah said with a pointed look and Klaus laughed.

Kol played Minor League Baseball in Colorado Springs. He was a good enough short stop to play in the Major Leagues, but he had continuously gotten in trouble for drug usage in high school, which had had an incredible effect on his grades; they all knew Kol would have been drafted into the Major Leagues had he gone to NCAA divison in school and gotten his grades up. Kol's cocky attitude was absolutely no help either; he was good and he knew it and it had gotten him into trouble the last time he had renegotiated his contract with the Sky Sox.

Kol gave Elijah a short, nearly imperceptive nod; that topic was a sore spot for him. He was incredibly independent and had misread over a clause in the contract that could have had a very negative effect on his career. He didn't like remembering it, "Katherine, darling," Kol said, turning the attention away from his shortcomings. "Thank you for having me in your beautiful home."

Ever the people pleaser, Kol took her hand in his own and kissed it lightly, smirking the entire time, as Caroline and the Salvatores came and joined them.

"You're very welcome, Kol," Katherine said with a cocky smile, flattered at Kol's actions, as Kol turned to Caroline next.

"Well, well, well, Miss Forbes, what a pleasure it is to see you again. Still hanging around my brother? Just so you know, I'm always available if you ever get bored…I'm sure you know how broody good, ol' Nik is."

Klaus growled and narrowed his eyes at Kol but Caroline knew better, she just laughed. This was Kol's game. It always had been and she just so happened to be good at playing it back.

"Mmm, thanks for the offer but I think I'll stick with your brother," she said, throwing a little mean girl act in her sentence, before standing on her tip-toes to kiss Klaus on the cheek.

"Well, that's just too bad. Maybe some other time, then," Kol replied evenly, still smirking wickedly.

"The food will be out in a minute, but I'd like to take a second to say that I'm very grateful to see that all the people I care about could make it here tonight. I didn't personally set up this dinner, but I've been told there's a reason behind it," Elijah said, looking down at Katherine as he wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her waist. "But for now, let us go inside and eat our meal."

"Thank God, we're just in time! I was beginning to think my stomach would eat itself," Damon quipped, smirking at the food hungrily as he walked in the dining room after they'd all sat down.

Elena rolled her eyes and smiled as she walked in behind him, Alex on her hip, "I'm so sorry! We were having a crisis over what outfit Alex had to wear," she said, looking between Damon and Alex with both irritation and fondness as they sat down.

"No!" Alex exclaimed, shaking his head. "I not wear yucky gween shirt! No! Baseball shirt. Alex wear baseball shirt," he said rubbing the material of his Chicago White Sox t-shirt between his little fingers.

"That's right, little guy. Mommy doesn't understand that we need to show support for our home team!" Damon exclaimed with a purposeful, sharp look at Kol before turning his attention back to the food on the table. He had never really liked any of the Mikaelsons, but he made no effort to hide that Kol and Klaus were his least favorite. What better way than to support a rival team.

Elena threw her hands in the air exasperatedly before looking at her husband. "_Damon_, stop looking at the food like that. It's creepy. You ate three hours ago."

He only stared at her with a smirk, like she wasn't getting a joke, "Exactly, Elena. Three hours too long. What's the rule, buddy?" he turned to look at his son with a mock, stern face.

Alex tipped his chin up in sort of military salute, grinning proudly with Damon's signature roguishness in his electric blue eyes, "One mealtime ends, the next begins," the two year old recited loudly, saluting his dad.

Damon smirked proudly, "That's my boy!"

Lexi rolled her eyes from across the table, "With the way you eat, you should look like a sumo wrestler by now, Damon."

Stefan laughed from beside her, shaking his head, "No, no. I once saw this man eat a whole pound of spaghetti in one hour, just to get his picture on the 'Wall of the Iron Stomachs' at our favorite eatery back home."

Elena's eyes went wide as she stared at her husband in horror.

Lexi only snorted, "Yes," she began slowly, as if talking to five-year-olds, "But you guys grew up in the land of pasta, where it's not considered dangerous to your colon to stuff tons of grain into your stomach," she shook her head in disbelief at her new husband's and new brother-in-law's antics.

Stefan grinned at her. "You're such a vegan," he said and Lexi turned to stick her tongue out at him childisdhly before returning her attention to her plate and giving Stefan the silent treatment.

"Well it's good to know you two have snapped out of the newly wed stage," Elena quipped with a look at Caroline as they both laughed.

Damon laughed out loud, proudly, "Hey, don't make fun of the Italian way. Siamo un popolo feiro, donna." _We are a proud people, woman._

Caroline watched Elena's eyes dilate at the way the exocitc words flowed off her husband's tongue, his accent changing as he spoke with a proud fire in his eyes. That was one thing Caroline admired about Damon, and Stefan too. The men were proud of their heritage. Even though their family moved to the Sates when Damon was 14 and Stefan was 12 after their American-born mother had died suddenly. Their father, Giuseppe, had needed help raising the two boys, seeing as they were a handful. So he moved them back to the States to be closer to their mother's family. Without any prompting from their father, both Stefan and Damon had purposely retained the knowledge of the language of their people; they'd wanted to feel connected to their home, always.

"Che siamo, mio fratello." _That we are, my brother._ Stefan smiled back at his brother, and Caroline wanted to gag and/or laugh at the bromance of it all. She could feel Klaus' hand tighten on her shoulder as he kept back his chortles. As Lexi tried not to swoon at the musical sound of her husband's voice, Caroline smirked mentally, keeping it to herself that she knew another language as well (French) and that Nik knew four (English, French, Gaelic, and Italian.)

She'd always been amazed at the rate that Nik could absorb information, and languages always fascinated him; he loved patterns and words and after college, he had traveled around the world a bit. He would tell her the stories sometimes late at night as they lay in bed; she found he was always more open at night for some reason.

It seemed he couldn't hold back his comments anymore, so he leaned over to her ear and whispered something in a foreign language, just to be ironic, she guessed.

At least it was a language she knew.

"Je trouve cela amusant qu'ils pensent que personne ne sait ce qu'ils dissent. Est-ce sadique de moi?" _I find it amusing that they think no one knows what they're saying. Is that sadistic of me?_ He tilted his head to the side, enjoying his own joke.

"Je crains que si." _I'm afraid so._ She responded with a giggle; she was very happy to see these glimpses of light-heared Nik. He'd been so tense the past week. Plus, she liked having a way to communicate with him that no one else in their circle could. Not even Rebekah.

Speaking of Rebekah, Caroline realized she would be piping up soon. The blonde had been far too quiet since their encounter with Sage.

"Could you all quit showing off and eat, please," Rebekah snapped, her words were harsh, but her tone was amused. Caroline wasn't used to that.

Nik seemed to read the surprise in her, "My sister enjoys big family functions with friends like this," he shrugged. "She mellows out."

Caroline laughed, "Did you just say 'mellow'?"

Klaus' eyes snapped, realizing his phrasing. "No," he answered quickly. She held back a laugh as he ate his steak in amused silence. Minus the brief altercation with Sage, the evening had been rather enjoyable. _Maybe this isn't be so horrendous after-_

"I have an announcement," Katherine stood up, tapping her spoon against her flute of sparkling cider (It would look like champagne to everyone else, but Caroline knew. Her glass was bubbly as well). Her extravagance wasn't needed but everyone knew that Katherine had always had a flare for the dramatic.

_Looks like I spoke too soon …Can that expression even be used in thoughts?_ Her strange brain was trying to distract her with linguistic technicalities so she didn't have to focus on the impending excitement. Or what she assumed was impending drama. _Let's face it- Katherine has drama written all over her pretty little forehead. _

She took solace in the fact that soon Katherine would be a swollen up whale like her.

Klaus sighed, resigned. He started pinching the bridge of his nose in anticipation of the headache to come.

"Well," Katherine's voice had a hint of nervousness to it and Caroline and Nik were both shocked by the uncharacteristic sound. "I have something to tell all of you. As you know, Elijah and I have been married for three years now, and we discussed it a couple months ago, and decided there was something else we wanted….A family…and well…I'm pregnant," she said with a large smile on her face.

The Salvatore's jaws dropped. They were probably remembering going out with this woman in high school and probably thankful that it wasn't their child. They were happy for her, of course; Katherine was a close friend to them now and they'd come to the happy realization that she was a much better friend than girlfriend, but still, neither of them enjoyed the stress she came with in a _romantic _relationship.

Elena and Lexi, of course, already knew about this so they only offered smiles.

Elijah grinned, radiating pride and joy.

Sage smiled calmly and it was the first genuine expression Caroline had seen from the woman.

Finn's eyes widened, a smile coming over his face, "That's wonderful. I'm so happy for you, 'Lijah." Finn suddenly got up to cross the space between them and give his older brother a hug, "I always knew you'd make a wonderful father."

Klaus smiled; he couldn't help, but agree. Elijah had told Niklaus that he thought he'd failed him as an older brother but Klaus always believed Elijah was the better man. Even if he was completely unsure about his own fatherly status, he knew Elijah's- his older brother would be an amazing father.

"Yes, he will," Katherine smiled warmly, but then turned her head to look at Caroline and Klaus, whose faces were masks of excitement to hide their uneasiness, "But that's not the only news this family has… Klaus and Caroline just happen to be in the same situation!"

Caroline gasped, her eyes going wide. She was barely seven weeks along, and from what she had read that was a lot earlier than most people announce that they're expecting just because everything is so up in the air in the first trimester.

Klaus eyes widened outrageously in horror. Caroline knew by the fist she felt him make at her side that he was clenching his jaw in restraint. _How could she? I always knew she didn't like Nik, but I never thought her to be this cruel. _Caroline's eyes stung with the saltiness of tears. She always cried when she was angry.

Elena and Lexi glanced frantically at Caroline, wishing they could reach across the table and shield their friend. Damon and Stefan's eyes bugged out, their jaws dropped, staring at Klaus like he was a three-eyed monkey.

"Well, damn, I sure have missed a lot! Maybe I need to move back to the Midwest…sure is more exciting over here!" Kol exclaimed, always the one to make a joke at the wrong time, a smirk on his face and Caroline could just see all of the ways he was preparing to goad his brother form in his head.

Finn was frozen, stunned, debilitated. He still loved his brother. Truth be told, Niklaus was one of the people he loved most in this world. But he viewed him as tortured, as something to push to the back of his mind out of guilt. Finn purposely tried not to think about Niklaus, because every time he did he felt like the little boy trying to drown out his little brother's screams with his pillow. He wanted Niklaus to be happy, but he knew, maybe as well as Elijah, that the idea of fatherhood would terrify Nik.

Sage's eyebrows were raised in a haughty expression.

"_Katherine_," Elijah said. "That is not any of your business to announce," he chided in a whisper but the room was so quiet that everyone heard it, further enhancing the awkward atmosphere.

She could feel Klaus' reaction beside her; he was fuming. She knew his worst kind of angry was the type that made him still, unnaturally still.

"So, it's true?" Sage's voice was shocked and condescending, to say the least.

She turned towards Klaus, "So you succeeded in knocking a girl up? At least it shows that you haven't lost your game. I'm sort of glad that you pushed me away now. I certainly wouldn't want to be in _her_ shoes," she turned her nose up and looked down at Caroline, "Well, you seem to have proved the stereotype."

Caroline glared, her eyes slits, the pastel shade of her eyes going darker, "And which one would that be?"

Sage shrugged, "Oh, that blondes are whores, of course."

Something in Caroline ignited. Maybe it was the hormones, maybe it was the stress, most likely it was her horrible words, but Caroline was about to choke the woman across from her, right in the dining room.

Before she got the chance, a bomb went off. A bomb going by the name of Niklaus.

He moved like lightening, standing from his chair with a loud "SHUT UP," he yelled at Sage. "I'VE HAD IT! You can say all the shit about me that you bloody well please, but I warned you: say a word against Caroline and I can't be held accountable for my actions.

"Nik," Caroline warned, grabbing his wrist and pulling on it feebly. "Not here, Nik," she groaned…they could of dealt with Katherine's unexpected announcement and the evening would have continued in much the same way it had been.

But now that Klaus had gone off, the whole room was silent. Caroline had seen Klaus angry many times, but this went beyond. He was completely broken when she'd gotten him to listen to her a few nights ago. He wasn't broken now, he was on fire. He was like a natural disaster that had no control over its rage.

Klaus paid no attention to Caroline his voice was dangerously, deceptively quiet now, "She is not the whore in this room, YOU ARE! Did you ever even tell Finn that you were hanging all over him, batting your eyelashes just so you could get the damned money? Then what about the time that bloke got you knocked up while you were seeing Finn? You had the nerve to be upset about it just because the child wasn't from the right man in order to accomplish your goals! I doubt it you told him any of that; you don't have an honest bone in your body!

"You have no RIGHT to look down on Caroline and I! It doesn't matter one bloody bit that we're not married! I'll probably be the worst fucking father in history, but this is our life, and Caroline is a hundred times the woman you are! At least she is KEEPING her baby! And I don't give a shit if I'm being inappropriate!" He finished his rant and stormed out, leaving Caroline sitting there, watching where he had been standing, torn between following him and staying to give him space while she cleaned up this mess.

The whole table stared on in shock, not being able to process what exactly was happening. Sage, for the first time that night, looked defeated instead of angry. Finn was silent for a few minutes before excusing himself from the room with a disappointed look at Sage. A few minutes after Finn had made his departure, Sage stood and followed him.

* * *

Caroline stayed for a little while in hopes Klaus would come back after he blew off some steam wherever he went. She sat silently between Elena and Lexi on the back porch, Rebekah on a chair nearby, watching as Matt, Damon, Kol, and Stefan played with Alex in Elijah and Katherine's back yard.

"No, you're doing it wrong!" Kol called in frustration to Damon as he helped his son hold a baseball bat and swing at pitch after pitch.

"Yeah? Says who, some mediocre _minor leaguer_? I can teach my kid how to play baseball," Damon retorted as Stefan threw _another_ underhand pitch at the pair. They swung and missed the ball horribly, much to Kol's amusement.

"Let me try," Kol dared with his smirk in place.

"Fine, hot shot. Just don't get mad at me when you have trouble hitting a bunt with a two year old," Damon said.

"I do love a challenge. Come here, little guy," Kol said. He awkwardly readjusted Alex's grip on the bat, placing his hands over the boy's. "Ready?" he asked.

"Weady! Otay, Uncwe Stefan! One, two, fwee!" Alex yelled, leaning over with some of the weight from the aluminum bat. Kol helped Alex swing the bat and it collided with the ball perfectly. The little boy laughed delightedly as Kol smirked at Damon. Alex dropped the bat and gave Kol an enthusiastic high five before running over to Stefan and Matt to give them high fives.

"Beginner's luck," Damon grumbled as he walked back over to where Kol was leaning on the bat.

"Not my fault you have a sucky swing," Kol said, laying the bat in the grass. "I've got to run but do give me a call when you decide you want an adept coach for your kid," he said with a smirk before walking past Damon and into the house.

Damon looked after Kol, mumbling something about 'adept coaches my ass.' Damon was so caught up in his grumbling, he missed both Stefan and Matt calling his name, trying to get his attention. Alex had wandered back over to where his father stood and had picked the bat up out of the grass. The little boy was swinging the bat around carelessly, struggling with the weight of the object that was a good seven inches taller than him.

"Whoa," he laughed as he swung and almost lost control. Alex swung again and the bat collided with Damon's shin, knocking Alex back off his feet. "Dat was a good one, Daddy! Again, again!" he said, smirking at Damon as he jumped around on one foot to everyone's amusement.

Caroline excused herself into the now dreadfully silent house and, of course, because she'd had the worst luck of anyone in the past week, she nearly ran straight into Sage.

At least the woman had the decency to apologize but it didn't stop Caroline from rolling her eyes and starting to walk away.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Sage asked.

"Haven't you talked enough? Seriously, just leave me _and _Nik alone. You aren't helping anything."

"But that's what you don't get. I _am _trying to help. Klaus is a messed up man, Caroline and you're only scratching the surface. All of his sibling have been through a lot because of him and there's no telling what that baby will make of him but, between you and me, nothing good will come of it. Klaus is too impulsive and angry to raise a child. I would hope that after that little outburst at dinner, you would be able to see that. So, I talked to Finn and we decided that we want to help you. Caroline, Finn and I are willing to adopt your baby so you don't have to worry about having to raise it in an unsafe environment. Just know that if you ever need anything, you can come to Finn and I," Sage said calmly.

Caroline just gawked at the other woman who had the audacity to think she was doing the right thing, "Is that seriously your idea of helping? Well, thanks but no thanks. I don't know what happened between him and Finn and I'm not going to force the question out him, but all I know is that I'm not going to trust anything that comes out of your mouth. Sure, Nik is rough around the edges but I _trust _him so stop making it sound like everything is his damn fault. You can't blame him for things that were out of his control. So you go back to Finn and tell him to fuck off," Caroline said, striding past the red head bravely.

She found Klaus in his old room, lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She observed the neatly kept space that looked as if he still lived there. His diploma and degree from Lake Forest College hanging on the walls along with some pictures of days during his brief stint as a collegiate swimmer. She walked over to him and took his hand.

They left without saying goodbye to anyone.

* * *

A little while later, as they lay in bed, Caroline with her head on Nik's chest, trying to fall asleep, she kept reliving the day's events in her head.

"Do you wish that Finn was with someone you liked?" she asked suddenly, not sure if he would respond.

The question threw him. He expected her to ask about how he knew Sage before, or about the family fortune he'd let slip, or, hell, even about Sage giving up her baby for adoption or unfaithful actions towards his rule-following older brother which he only knew about because of Rebekah. With all the mayhem, he'd almost forgotten that what he was originally nervous about was seeing Finn. He was silent four nearly four minutes. Caroline counted.

"Maybe. I guess it might help things…in the long run, Sweetheart."

She seemed satisfied with his admission, so she moved her hand further up his chest and drew circles on his skin. He never wore a shirt to sleep; he sweats in his sleep, largely due to his nightmares and a shirt only irritated him further.

She took a small breath and asked a different question, "You didn't tell me about the money…you weren't afraid I would go after it, you know me better than that, so…did you think it would change my opinion of you?"

He sighed, playing with a stray strand of her hair, it calmed him a bit, "I don't know, Caroline. A lot of things I do…I just do off instinct, a gut feeling, I'm not always sure about my reasoning behind them; it's always been about what would help me survive. But I don't think it was because of that. I never viewed my grandmother's money as a part of me, it doesn't really matter in my scheme of things. It's a link to part of my family that I used to…care about, so maybe I was hiding that inheritance because I wanted it to stay a part of that old life."

She smiled in the dark; she knew this was hard for him, and appreciated that he was telling her this against all his better judgments. Then something occurred to her, "You loved your grandparents, didn't you?"

He stared down at her in surprise, "…People really do underestimate your intellect, my love."

She glared lightly, "Don't avoid the subject."

He sighed, "Yes… in a way. I didn't know them for long but they were the only thing that was a constant source of…of everything my parents were not. And then again, I hated them because they never did anything to help us." _To help me,_ he thought, unable to say the words because the majority of him thought that revealing that information was a weakness and Klaus was many things, but he was _not _weak.

She rolled her eyes at his diversion, "I'll take that as a 'yes'….But, uh, how was it divided? I mean, why didn't it go to your…parents?"

He paused and stared up at the ceiling, "When my grandparents…died, the judge deemed both my parents unworthy of the settlement, considering neither of them showed up to court," he cited the words off like a document he'd memorized, easier for him to not have to think about it that way.

Caroline nodded, taking it in, "So, each of your siblings got some. Do you think…Finn knew, before tonight, that Sage…had her eye on it?"

Nik shook his head dubiously, "Most likely not. Finn has always been…easily swayed, gullible some might say. He never really _saw_ people for what they were. I told you he's a rule follower and bows easily to those he assumes are in authority," there was an acid in his voice that implied he was thinking about something else.

"…What is it, Nik?"

He looked at her, eyes flashing, debating whether he should continue or close his eyes and go to sleep in an attempt to push this whole day away.

After a several more minutes of silence, he closed his eyes in resignation, "Finn viewed…the situation…with Mikael…differently than the rest of us did. No one really spoke about it, but we could all tell- Finn held out hope that he'd see the father he knew when he was little again, before his suspicions about me were clarified...that's when everything took the proverbial turn for the worst."

"That's probably why Finn never lied…to _him, _he just wanted his father back and, dammit… I can't blame him for it… It's what we all wanted but…but…Elijah would lie for me all the time…I think he thought that if he couldn't get him to…stop, then he had to protect me in a different way. So whenever I did something that we knew would set him off, Elijah would say he did it. Rebekah lied for me a couple times, and she ran into her room before Mikael could react. Kol even tried to help once. But Finn…he never-"

He broke off, choking on the words as he found himself unable to continue; each word had felt like glass coming out of his throat. He felt tired, emotionally tired. He had relieved too much of his miserable past.

He grudgingly had to admit that Finn always seemed like he hated what Mikael did, but he didn't once say 'no' when Mikael asked, "Did Niklaus do this?"

Maybe that's why Klaus hadn't spoken to Finn in two years and, before tonight, hadn't planned to- because deep inside, Niklaus didn't believe that Finn loved him.

Niklaus relaxed as he felt Caroline snuggle closer to him, her breath evening out as she fell asleep with her arm resting on his chest, her ear over his heart.

Klaus realized that it didn't matter what Finn thought anymore. Finn could be just as dead as Mikael was to him because now he knew of _one_ person in this world that truly loved him.

He kissed her forehead before shutting his eyes and letting sleep over take him as his mind wandered back into its heavy fortress. But, now, he wasn't even safe there. There was something that could break in at any moment.

_Thump, thump. Thump, thump._

**A/n:**_First off, PLEASE REVIEW. The button is right there. *points to little review button* Secondly, OKBooey31 is going to be out-of-town for the next week. So the next chapter will not be posted until she comes back. In the mean time, I was thinking about writing up all the ideas for scenes in this story that got scrapped simply because they didn't flow or something. So if you guys want, and review telling me you'd want it and maybe some ideas, then I will post a chapter of 'Deleted Scenes' while Kaitlin is away. Now to quote one of my favorite old songs, 'I'll be seeing you.'_


	6. Finn's Side

**A/n: **_Alright, I've been in driver's ed all week and have had zero time. I have a lot of inspiration for more scenes, and my other Klaroline stories and some Sherlock and Covert Afairs one shots as well, but for now, enjoy this scene that was removed from the last chapter for continuity purposes. We wanted to show just Nik's side to see the way his biases colored the way he viewed his brother._

**Disclaimer:** _I own nothing._

Finn knew that Nik would never believe it, but he did truly love his brother; he put the pillow over his head to drown out the cries as he forced back his own tears. But then Elijah would come to the doorway, looming taller than most for his age of fifteen. His oldest brother would always take one last long look at the scene in the living room before walking to his bedside and pulling the pillow away, making Finn look up at him, with a look in his eyes that said that it would be alright, that none of this was his fault. Finn was too young to recognize the guilt in Elijah's face as well.

But that day was different; Elijah asked him something as he pulled away the pillow that night, "Are you alright?"

It was such a simple question, but it stunned the younger boy. It wasn't unlike his oldest brother to be compassionate, but it was unlike him to show it with anything more than looks and actions, especially during one of _these_ nights.

He only shrugged, "I'm fine, but Nik he…I should've lied to Dad. I should've told him that it was my fault. I should've-"

Elijah shook his head and placed a hand on his shoulder, "No, Finn. You did nothing wrong. Nik's pain is not your fault, it's just…it's Dad. I don't understand him, I-" his brother broke off his thought as he shook his head in dismay, "No, you don't need to hear that. But you need to believe that you're not the one who's hurt, Nik. It's my responsibility to look after all of you…and I fail. Every time this happens, I fail. I just can't…" he cast his eyes down, his face so dark, full of shame and sorrow, "Goodnight, Finn."

Finn swallowed, nodding at his brother, "Good night, Elijah…and Elijah?" he called before his brother could get out the doorway.

Elijah turned his head, silently, looking over his shoulder.

"You're not hurting, Nik, either."

_But I'm certainly not helping him. _

That was the year Elijah got Finn extra-strong earplugs for Christmas. Mikael had looked at the present suspiciously, but all Elijah said was, "Your pillow deserves a break."

Turns out, he had needed them; Elijah joined Niklaus in the living room with Mikael that night.

**A/n: **_Please tell me if you liked! This one was written by me...I don't think I should enjoy writing dark childhood pieces like this so much...but I do. Reiew!_


	7. Sorry! Author's Note!

Sorry for the author's note, but I just wanted to let all you wonderful people know that the next chapter, along with another deleted scene, will be up in the next three days. We'd like to thank you guys-I found out yesterday when I checked the traffic on this story that it has been viewed by over 9,000 people with over 70 people story-alerted. We both had the same reaction-Holy shit! That can't be right!

This was just something we had started from a random spastic idea and it was fueled by our love for Joseph. It is not nearly over, so please continue enjoying the ride with us and tell your friends!

All our love,

Kaitlin and Katelyn.


	8. Real Family

**A/n: **_First of all, to all the people who think Klaus and Caroline couldn't totally be soul mates-watch these videos: _

_watch?v=Ae3luoZXjIs _

_watch?v=_ZimitNXg-Q _

_And secondly, this chapter would've been up sooner, but Kaitlin just got back. So let's all together, all thousands of you reading this (eek!), welcome back OKBooey31 and thank her for being so awesome as to have started writing this with me the second day that she was back! Seriously, I wouldn't be able to do that. She's awesome. She can join my club of awesome people. You may also join…if you review. And again, I want to add a smiley, but FF site deletes them. They hate my emotions. Enjoy. Review!_

**Disclaimer: **_Hahahaha, someone actually thinks it's plausible that I would own any of this? Hahaha, that's amusing. _

"_True family are the ones we chose."_

"Do you plan on moving your lovely self from our bed any time today, sweetheart?" Klaus chuckled as he came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, steam billowing out from the doors and hitting Caroline's face.

"No," she said groggily, narrowing her eyes at him, pretending not to take in his water-droplet covered chest, before rolling onto her back and disappearing under the comforter. As much as this pregnancy was making her hormones go crazy, it messed with her stomach more.

Klaus rolled his eyes fondly at Caroline's dramatics. If his girlfriend was one thing, it was a drama queen. He'd learned to love it, most of the time.

Once he was dressed-old jeans and a faded blue button down- he sat down on the edge of the bed and started to pull the blanket back down gently.

"Stop it, Niiiik," she groaned, fighting his tugs on the comforter, then the sheet. Smirking to himself, Klaus did as she asked and watched, waiting for her small hands to disappear into her fortress. When they did, he quickly yanked the bedcovers away from Caroline. "Seriously? You are _so _mean!"

Klaus only smirked cockily in response. "I'll take that as a complement, love," he said, eyes wandering over her face and noticing something off. "You're tired. Is everything alright?" he asked, cupping one of her cheeks in his palm, his thumb stroking underneath her eye, cursing the bags.

"As okay as it can be when you feel like you're gonna lose your stomach at any given moment," Caroline huffed with a shrug. "That's why I'm not moving. It's worse when I'm moving around...and when you wear this much aftershave. God, Nik, did you bathe in it?"

Klaus raised his eyebrows. "I beg your pardon, Miss Forbes, but you so happen to like my aftershave."

"Yeah, well we'll see how much you like it when it makes me puke all over you, Mr. Mikaelson."

"I suppose that would make it lose its charm," he replied with pursed lips and a small chuckle to which Caroline rolled her eyes. He couldn't help, but feel his heart warm at her mannerisms; to Klaus, Caroline resembled an angry kitten. He could tell she was fighting a smile, though. "I'll be leaving shortly. I have some things to take care of at work that I've been neglecting lately… Is there anything I can get you, sweetheart?" Caroline only shook her head in response. "If you're sure…."

"I am, Nik," she yawned, reassuring him that she was okay by rolling away from him and snuggling deeper into the covers. If she was feeling _Caroline _enough to act this childish, then she was fine.

"Alright. Try to get some sleep, love. I'll be back this afternoon," he said as she opened one eye and made a face at him, and he tucked the blanket around her. Klaus leaned down and kissed her gently before leaving.

* * *

Caroline squinted against the light that was trying to invade her closed eyes. She reached a hand out to the other side of the bed, and when her grip came back with just sheets, she remembered that Nik had gone to work…_How long ago was that?_ In the last couple of weeks, she had found that her current state did strange things to her sense of time. So, for all she knew, it could be night already. _Wait…light. Light equals not light. _Her scattered thought process cleared more as she woke up more fully, enough to remember that she Nik had a digital clock on his bedside table. She usually just used her cell, but Nik had a thing for old-fashioned practicalities. She had to use her best ever puppy pout to even get him to buy the _digital_ clock instead of a round-faced clock. In her sleepy haze, she couldn't remember what they were called.

_2: 30 P.M. _

She groaned as she realized she'd been 'cat-napping' longer than she'd intended too. Nik should be back in a few hours. She had meant to do things today…Laundry, catch up on her reading, memorize those new cheers she was going to teach to her girls, draft her newest article so it'd be ready to pitch to her editor next week. Instead, she'd slept. She decided right then that pregnancy was extremely inconvienent. _At least the morning sickness is gone for now_, she noted that her stomach felt a lot more steady as she got up then it had this morning.

After a brief detour to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face with, the water refreshing her blanched face, (and hiding Klaus' aftershave lamely under the sink), Caroline ventured down stairs in a good mood. One which quickly evaporated upon seeing a missed call on her cell phone from her mother. Caroline couldn't help the groan that escaped her lips.

She loved her mother, she really and truly did, but they had never had the best relationship. Caroline had always been…enthusiastic and Liz never understood why she couldn't rein it in. As a child, Caroline found manners useless. Her parent's friends thought it was funny at first, until one day when she was seven and her dad had invited people over for dinner. Caroline had been told to eat in her room, her mother being well aware of her daughter's tendencies to…speak-out at the wrong time. Liz claimed it was because she wanted Caroline to study for her spelling test the next day, but Caroline-despite being blond-had always been smarter than people assumed. She sat in her room, getting grouchier and grouchier, until she stormed down the stairs. She'd looked around the living room-the adults had moved from the kitchen after eating to watch a game- and seen the beers in her parents hands. Caroline wasn't old enough to really know what alcohol was, so her mother had always called it a 'mommy and daddy drink'. So, really you couldn't blame the little girl for getting mad and bursting out with, "I knew it! It's not a 'mommy and daddy drink', they're having it! So…it's an everybody drink! You sent me to my room to leave me out!"

No matter how much Liz and Caroline loved each other, happenings like that continued to increase the older and braver she got.

Liz was still the sheriff back in her hometown of Mystic Falls and had been sheriff since before Caroline could remember. Caroline had been happy back then…back when her dad was still around.

Caroline had always felt closer to her father. She never really understood why, except that to him, she was always his little girl and she thought there was nothing she could ever do to change that. When she was sad or upset, whether it be about school or boys or her mom, she could always talk to him.

One day, when Caroline was ten, she'd come home from school crying. Both the Forbes were somewhat shocked; they're daughter did not cry in front of people much. She was strong, stubbornly independent and hard-headed, always had been. Bill Forbes lead his little girl into his office-he'd worked out of the house most of the time- and sat her in her favorite leather chair that she used to call 'My Daddy's Throne'. She only got to sit in it at special times…or when she snuck into his office when Mom and Dad were at the neighbor's house. Her dad had looked at her that day, clear blue eyes clouded by tears, and he'd felt helpless for once in his life. He touched her cheek and spoke carefully, "Toe Head…what happened today?"

Caroline smiled weakly, recalling the memory and the way her father spoke so gently. She noted with a silent laugh that, sometimes, every once in a while, Klaus' manner of speaking, intelligent and careful, reminded her of her father. Freud would go crazy with her.

Little Caroline had looked away from his face, sniffing and angry-pouting, hating that she cried more than angrier she got, "…Ma-Matt…asked 'Lena."

Bill automatically knew what she'd meant; his daughter had talked of nothing the past week except her first school dance. She had very meticulously picked out her outfit for school every day of the past week, doing her hair with cute ribbons and headbands, in attempt to make her first crush notice. The All American Boy…Bill would've rolled his eyes if his daughter wasn't so sad because of that boy. The worst part was that this wasn't the first time someone had chosen the little Gilbert girl over Caroline. He never understood why people couldn't see the light radiating out of his little Caroline. Elena Gilbert had always been adorable, slender and delicate and pretty, but his Caroline…she was more than that: she was strong. Where Elena would waver between what she wanted until someone did it for her, Caroline would seek out what she wanted with a grin on her face.

Bill shook his head, "That's not your fault, CareBear….don't tell anyone I told you this, but I'm gonna tell you a little secret."

Her eyes lit up, but she flicked them back down, pretending not to be intrigued, "Yeah?" she said quietly, but already her tears had stopped.

"The only reason Matt went for Elena is because he knew she'd say yes."

Her little brows scrunched together, confused, "What do you mean, Daddy?"

He smiled, "He didn't ask you because he didn't know if he'd be good enough for you. Elena may be pretty too, Caroline, but she doesn't intimidate the boys."

Caroline's face was starting to grow into a smile, "What…what does 'intimidate' mean?"

He grinned, "It means that you, my princess, are too much for them to handle."

Caroline laughed.

That all changed the day Bill Forbes realized he didn't love her mother. When Caroline was in eighth grade, she was finally almost over the always-being-picked-after-Elena thing. She'd had her first boyfriend last year, and she told herself that her confidence spike was only due to her own maturity, but she knew it had a little to do with the fact that guys were noticing her more now. However, eighth grade was also the year that Caroline's world came crashing down; her father left. One ironically fresh day in spring, Bill told Liz that he was gay. Caroline hid upstairs in her room, her parents not noticing that her door was open and she could hear everything.

"Bill," she'd never heard her mother sound more distressed, or angry, "Wh-what are you talking about? You're not…gay. We…we were in this together."

Caroline poked her head out of the door to peer down the stairs, just in time to see her dad look down at his suitcase, "Liz, I'll always care for you. But…I realized that I don't. I don't love you in that way."

"So, you're just going to leave? What about Care? You know this will crush her, Bill! God dammnit, what are you _doing?_"

Bill couldn't speak at that, "I…This isn't…I'm going to say goodbye, Liz. To her."

Bill walked up the stairs and Caroline froze, slamming her door in terror of being caught. She thought maybe that if she never opened the door, never let him say goodbye, then maybe it wouldn't be real.

"Honey…Caroline, I know you're there. Please open this door."

"…Are you leaving, Dad?" she shouted through the door, her brave-face breaking.

He swallowed, "Care…I'm not sure about so many things in my life right now…I have to go, to figure it out. "

At his words, her heart turned icy and she timidly opened the door. She was sitting on the floor, looking up at him, and she looked and felt like she was six again, "Why are you leaving me, Daddy?"

Bill Forbes wanted to cry, for the first time since he was a kid, he wanted to break down and cry and curse himself. But instead, he just picked her up off the floor and hugged her fiercely, "No matter what I don't understand, Sweetheart, the thing I will always be sure about is you. I'll come back, baby, I promise."

She cried into his shirt and couldn't say anything but, "Please don't leave me."

His heart broke as he walked out the door and heard his little girl sobbing.

Caroline was left with a mother that she struggled to connect with. Sure Caroline saw her dad, and his new 'friend' Steven, every couple of weeks, but her relationship with her mom kept spiraling out of control as Caroline's social life escalated in high school and she dated boys her mom didn't approve of, like Damon Salvatore, or came home after her curfew, not in the least bit sober. She didn't realize until after she'd graduated that her behavior was probably purposeful: to forget all her insecurities and spite her mother. _How cliché,_ she thought, laughing at herself.

But none of that hit her as hard as when Bill died from a heart attack suddenly in her senior year of high school. Caroline had drifted apart from her dad once she started high school. She didn't do it purposefully; she didn't even realize she was avoiding him until she saw him in the kitchen with Steven one day, home to visit, and she'd automatically got the urge to run. She realized that she went out with those guys, drank at those parties, just so she wouldn't feel anything like that little girl that had gotten abandoned years ago. But losing him was still one of the worst things that had ever happened to her.

Someone had called her to the front office during school, during history-her favorite subject because of the laid back teacher. The moment she'd seen her mom standing there, looking at her like she was afraid she'd bolt, like Liz herself wanted to bolt and pretend nothing was real, Caroline knew. Another piece of her life was about to fall out of place. She'd cried every day after she'd gotten home from school, for two weeks straight.

However, it had made Caroline realize that life was short and she had begun to make amends with her mom. She'd understood when she'd gotten older how that most of the arguments she'd had with her mother were because of their two completely different mindsets; people that think differently often fight and there's nothing one can do but work to accept the other person. Their relationship was loads better now, but they were still prone to bickering. Nonetheless, Caroline dialed the number and Liz answered almost immediately.

"Caroline! Hey sweetie!"

"Hey, mom!" Caroline said, she couldn't help but smile at the enthusiastic and loving tone her mom was speaking in. "What's up?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Nothing too exciting in Mystic Falls," Liz laughed, all MF residents loved to pick on their own town, "I was just calling to say hey. I haven't heard from you in a while and I got worried."

_Typical Mom_, she smiled.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Mom. Things got pretty crazy up here."

"Is everything okay?" her mother's automatic careful tone made her wince. She didn't want to have this conversation over the phone.

"Yeah…sort of. Nik and I are… working through it."

She waited for the inevitable negative attitude that her mom always associated with Nik.

"Dealing? That doesn't sound too good, sweetie. Have you two been fighting… _again_?"

Caroline groaned, yet again, at her mom's question. Klaus had been the cause of a huge issue between her and Liz. She did not approve in any way, shape, or form, of Caroline's relationship with Niklaus Mikaelson. Liz had made that explicitly clear the day she met him.

Caroline had been nervous days before she even took Nik over to her old house for dinner. Her mother had heard the anticipation in her daughter's voice when she'd called to let her know that she was introducing her to her new boyfriend. Liz did not have a high set of standards for what to expect, considering she hadn't liked _one _of Caroline's boyfriends, not even Matt. Caroline still may not realize it, but the reason she hadn't liked any of her previous boyfriends was because, in one way or another, they'd all hurt her daughter, the only family she'd had left.

Nik, to say the least, had not wanted to attend said dinner. He had only been dating Caroline for about three months at this point, and he still hadn't gotten used to the exhilarating, but very frightening, things that she made him feel. He certainly didn't want anyone else privy to seeing that vulnerability. When Nik and Caroline had arrived back in Mystic Falls, Liz had opened the door and reluctantly held out her hand to shake Nik's. Nik shook back and didn't say a word all during dinner until Liz asked how the two had met.

Nik had said, "Caroline came over to my dorm, looking for her friend Stefan, who was my roommate at the time, she caught me in a bad mood, and decided to let me know how she felt about me being 'rude' to her. I believe she imitated my accent and called me 'a bloody jackass'."

Needless to say, Liz was not amused.

She didn't trust him and Caroline knew that the only reason Liz tolerated Klaus's mouthing off was because he obviously made Caroline happy, when he wasn't driving her crazy. But that didn't mean Liz stopped pestering Caroline about a healthy relationship with a normal guy. She wanted her daughter to have a man she deserved- a man that would talk to her openly, trust her and care for her. Liz was still not sure if Klaus would put her daughter's needs over his own. Overall, though, Liz kept her distance from their business and it worked better that way, but now Caroline was sure she was going to screw things up again. The ironic part of it all being that Liz's daughter was probably the only person whom Nik was okay with putting above himself.

"No we're not fighting, Mom. Something…happened and it hasn't been the easiest couple of weeks I've ever lived through but things are, sort of, finally looking up."

"Carolin-"

"Look, mom…I have something to tell you. Just, please please, please don't get mad."

"It's that bad? Caroline what have you gotten into this time, sweetie?"

"No, it's not _bad_, mom," she said with an annoyed eye roll, "Look, I just can't tell you this over the phone. I'm coming over for dinner, okay?"

Caroline could _hear _her mother's frown over the phone, "…Okay. I'll see you in a bit."

Caroline nodded, knowing her mom couldn't see, but feeling less shaky now that she had a bit of time to think about what she'd say.

* * *

"Mom!" she called out through her house as she used her key to unlock the door. As she walked back into the hall of her former-home, she felt like she was walking in the steps of a different person. It felt familiar, but somehow…distant, different. So much had happened to her in this house that when she'd left for school, she'd wanted to…be a different person than the girl that grew up all wrong in this town. She'd wanted to be a woman both her parents were proud of. And, until the last week, she thought she was succeeding. But she _knew_ her mother's opinion of having a baby before you get married…

"Mom?" Caroline asked tentatively. No, she had not planned on telling her mom, or anyone else for that matter, about her and Klaus' situation for at least another month but Katherine had ruined that plan. And, Caroline figured, now that all her friends knew, it was only a matter of time before Liz found out.

"Caroline?" her mother stepped out of the kitchen, her eyes lighting up despite the stress. She only got to see her daughter about once a month.

She didn't have to force a smile at seeing her mom, even though she was nervous, she was still glad to see her, "Hey, Mom."

"Come into the kitchen, Care. I already have dinner ready."

Caroline laughed, "Since when do you cook? Wait…did you just order-out and then hide the boxes again?"

Her dad had always been the one that'd cooked the meals. After he'd left, her mother had either ordered out or took Caroline to the Mystic Grill for dinner.

Liz rolled her eyes, "Excuse me, I'm a grown woman, Caroline. I can fend for myself…If the meal has very specific instructions…"

She laughed, feeling the nerves climb back into her nerves.

Liz looked up from the table, seeing the distress in her face, "Caroline…what's wrong? What did you want to tell me?

"I…" she opened her mouth, but suddenly felt paralyzed, seeing her mom's reaction flashing in her mind, "Promise me you'll listen before you yell."

Liz's eyes were cautious, guarded, but she nodded, "Of course, honey."

"I-I'm pregnant."

There was dead silence all through the room for an undeterminable amount of time as the two woman looked at each other, trying to decide what to say or what was happening.

"Mom…" Caroline broke the silence, "Did you…hear me?"

Liz shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs and to hear her daughter's voice over the heartbeat in her ears, "You're pregnant, CareBear?"

She didn't know whether the use of her childhood nickname was purposeful to cause Caroline guilt, but it was definitely working. She could see that her mother was probably having a vision of seven-year old Caroline telling her she wanted to find her prince and have a baby.

Caroline laughed nervously. "Yeah… Yeah, I am."

"Well who's the father? Please don't tell me you got married without me knowing, Caroline."

She could see that her mother had…for lack of a better word, tripped a little, mentally, and was in denial of the facts. She'd probably rather her daughter have eloped and gotten pregnant than had just gotten pregnant from her boyfriend.

"Mom! No, I didn't elope or whatever. And, seriously, who do you think the father is?" she knew she should feel bad inside for what this was doing to her mother, but she couldn't help her indignation. She was her mother, but she had no right to question who the father was. That was like questioning her love for Nik and no one got away with doing that. It was blasphemous. _Plus, _Caroline thought absent-mindedly, _That also kind of implies that I'm a cheating whore. _

"Caroline! You know how I feel about him; I've never been sure what that boy's motives were. I've never trusted him and now I see that I had a reason not to! And a child out of wedlock, Caroline? I thought I raised you better than that," Liz warned.

"Well, what do you want me to do about it, huh? Sure, I had always imagined being married before I had kids…mainly because you drilled that belief into me. But then Nik came along and… he sort of changed my whole view of things! Him and this kid are…mine. I'm gonna have my own family, Mom. Why can't you just be happy, if only about that?"

"I think it should go without saying, but I'm extremely disappointed. "

Caroline's heart dropped. She thought that if there was one person left that understood why she would need something, some_one_ that was hers and no one else's, it would be her mom. She needed this to hold onto. She had always felt a lack of…togetherness in her family. She guessed that, in a way, Nik and the baby might fill that whole in her heart.

"You know what, mom? I want this baby. Nik _needs_ this baby because…well that not's your business and it probably doesn't matter to you!No, neither of us have a good idea of how to be parents, but we're going to get through this _together_ no matter how much you want him to walk out on me… just to prove that you've 'always known he was a scoundrel'."

"I thought we were finally past all your teenage attitude. _My _daughter does _not _act like this. Caroline, you're life isn't some MTV reality show!"

"Mom! Are you being serious right now? No, you know what? Just forget it. If I'm such a disappointment then just forget that I even exist. I don't even know why I tried…I've always been you_r _little _disappointment_." And with that, Caroline stormed out of the house, all she wanted to do was collapse on the black leather couch that Klaus had picked out, back at what she now considered her only home. She fought back the tears all the way home, refusing to cry in a car. But once she got home to the couch, she ran to their room to get one of Klaus' Henley shirt's, sniffed it as she laid down on the couch, and let the tears come.

* * *

Klaus found her like that five minutes later. "I'm certainly glad you decided to change the scenery up a bit, love," he said, his keys landing on the kitchen island with a familiar jangle. Klaus watched her, waiting for one of her characteristic, quirky comebacks, but it never came. Instead he got a sinking feeling in his stomach when he saw his angel with her head in her hands. "Caroline?" he asked, more hesitantly as he placed a gentle hand on her back, sitting down beside her and shifting her head so it was in his lap.

"I just wish something would go right, Nik. Just one thing. Is that too much to ask?"

Her broken tone did something strange inside his chest, like something inside him cracking and dropping down his throat.

"What?" he asked, taken aback and scared for her, more than he'd be for himself, "What's wrong now, love?"

She shook her head, refusing to respond, and turned to hide in his chest.

"Caroline…" he started. This was the hard part because he knew how hypocritical it made him to ask her to open up to him and, but for some reason it felt different this time.

His entire life and the hardships it entailed had taught him one thing: that if you hurt someone you love, they never forgive you. So he had always treaded lightly, even though the hurt followed him wherever he went it seemed, like a black cloud. But then, Caroline had happened. All of this happened and Klaus had begun to think that maybe, just maybe, he'd been wrong. He had wronged Caroline several times in their monthly arguments and she stayed around. He didn't know if his whole mindset was wrong, that maybe people were more forgiving than he assumed, or if Caroline was a rare, compassionate exception, his exception.

He had even convinced himself that he'd, somehow, wronged his unborn child. He was unsure of his/her's feelings for him, but he had never felt so guilty in his life for not wanting to give something a chance. Because now –dare he say it?- he more or less _loved, _not only Caroline, but… their baby as well. _I think, _he thought to himself, sighing in confusion. He tended to over think everything.

Klaus inwardly groaned as his thoughts screamed no at him, that he should take it back, that love was a weakness. Admitting his feelings of affection was still new to him. Once upon a time he had thought having other people know of your affections had been a weakness when his survival instincts had told him to bury it in any way possible. Now, it was just another necessary evil. _Or maybe not so evil…_

And with that logic being repeated like a mantra in his head, but fully prepared for the fight he was positive would ensue, Klaus continued. "Caroline, please tell me. Come on, love, talk to me."

"My mom," she mumbled into his shirt. He was barely able to make out the words.

"What about her?"

"She called and…I went over there and I told her. Now that everyone knows, I figured she had to know…I mean she's my _mom_ after all. But of course, I ruined everything…again."

He shook his head, "No, Caroline, don't think like that. I'm sure this was no one's fault, especially not yours. I'm assuming she…was not pleased?"

Caroline shook her head against his chest as Liz's hurtful words ran through her head like a broken record.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Caroline. I know this is probably my fault, but…she'll come around. She has to," he whispered, and his face desperately wanting to scrunch up in distaste. He'd never known what it was like to have a mother that cared, but Klaus placed a kiss on the top of her head and repeated his new mantra in his head. "We're fine. I'm here. Everything's okay, love."

"Nik…" she looked up at him, trying not to look like a scared child with her wide blue eyes.

"Yes, Sweetheart?"

She had to shut her eyes against the backlash of emotion as she spoke the words, "I think…if my dad was alive…he'd have liked you."

He automatically frowned, unsure of why the conversation had gone this way; he knew that her dad was not a topic that Caroline ever purposefully brought up, but he hadn't been told all the details yet. _Later, _he thought, _She can tell me later if she wishes. _

"Why do you think that, darling?"

She blinked up at him, her face transforming into a smile, almost like she was reliving a memory, "Because you chose _me_."

* * *

_The clicking of her plastic high heels echoed in her ears as she followed Elena through the house. Caroline was in a white, poofy, princess dress. Gloves adorned her little hands, covering up to her elbows and the obnoxiously large pink headband she frequently wore in her childhood sat atop her golden curls. Elena was dressed in a similar fashion, but her dress was various shades of purple instead of white and she had a Disney princess tiara placed in her pin straight, chesnut hair._

_Caroline recognized everything around her, including the chatter that she and Elena were involved in. Elena was eagerly talking about the ball they were attending, and that all the princes would be there to greet them and try to marry them. Caroline couldn't help but smile fondly at her childhood friend as she turned around and took the blonde's hand before pulling her out of the back door in the kitchen. But as Elena held her hand, Caroline couldn't help but feel as if something was amiss, that there was something odd about the whole situation. She felt like she was walking in the past, reliving a bad memory, but she couldn't remember why it was bad…She then noticed something curious in Elena's other arm._

"_Why are you carrying around your blankie, 'Lena?" she asked, her youthful voice making her giggle._

"_Shh! You'll wake him up and then all the princes will be extremely annoyed at you when they have to hear him crying during entire ball, Care."_

"_Who's he? What are you talking about?"_

_Elena didn't answer. Instead, she turned away from Caroline and skipped out the door into the backyard of Caroline's childhood home._

_Once again, everything was just as she remembered it. The play house by the fence was surrounded by dandelions and buttercups and the sweet smell filled the air. The tire swing hanging down from the lowest branch of the old cedar tree still creaked the same way in the wind. She smiled as she recognized the faces of her friends: Matt(baby-faced and blue-eyed), Jeremy(annoyed to be dragged to another one of his sister's 'girly' parties), Elena's twin sister Katherine with the same snobby smirk , and Bonnie with a huge smile and hazel eyes. Even Tyler Lockwood was there, leaning against the old cedar staring at her._

_Caroline's smile faded as Elena ran straight past Matt- both her and Elena's childhood crush- and to the corner of the yard where the brunette transformed from the cute six-year-old child to the beautiful, grown young woman._

_Caroline was confused as she watched the scene unfold in front of her; Damon was standing slightly away from the others with four adults whom didn't belong in this memory: Stefan, Lexi, Rebekah, and Elijah. Her brow creased as she watched Damon engulf now adult Elena in a loving embrace before looking down at the bundle in Elena's arms with a gentle smirk on his face. Katherine skipped over, transforming from the confident child to the smug adult, to stand beside Elijah, tall and strong. Matt ran over to the group, growing as he went, and swept Rebekah up in his arms bridal style, both of them laughing as Katherine and Elijah smiled. Elijah placed a hand over Katherine's abdomen with a protectiveness she had never seen before in her six years._

_Caroline looked around expectantly with a vague feeling like she was missing someone. Klaus, the name rang inside her head and it came with a mental image of a face that made her heart feel warm. She looked around for Klaus again, turning her head, her blond locks swinging over her shoulders frantically, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. Little Caroline started to cry, her arms wrapping around her stomach, similar to the way the Katherine and Elijah were cradling Katherine's abdomen lovingly. But Caroline's motion was out of distress, not adoration._

"_Caroline!" her mother said from somewhere behind her, voice thick with concern. "What's wrong, sweetie?"_

"_Baby Doll, you don't need to be crying at your birthday party!" her dad said, kneeling in front of her and smiling softly, trying to get his little girl to show him her powder-blue's._

"_He's not here! My prince isn't here," her childish voice said, as she sniffled and wiped the tears off of her cheeks. "What am I going to do? We're going to have a baby and he's missing!"_

"_Calm down, Care!" he dad chuckled, placing a kiss on her forehead. "It's all going to be okay!"_

_Liz knelt down beside Bill. "It's just your birthday party, silly goose! You have plenty of time to worry about finding your prince and__getting married_ _and _having babies_!"_

"_Dry your tears up and go have fun with your friends, princess. Everything will be okay," Bill said with a smile, fondly ruffling her shoulder length, blonde ringlets._

_Caroline gulped and nodded before bravely turning back around and venturing out into the front yard. She could tell Katherine was laughing at her and couldn't help but feel empty as she watched all the happy couples around her, going about their lives. Her hands found their way to her stomach again as the terrible feeling of loneliness overwhelmed her._

Caroline bolted awake, breathing hard, feeling the heat prickles of anxiety fade from her forehead. She looked to her right and saw Klaus lying on his side, his back facing her, and realized it had all been a dream. She looked back to the ceiling, trying to take deep, calming breaths before glancing at the alarm clock. Caroline groaned when she saw it was 5:30.

This had been the norm for the last couple nights. Weird dreams waking her up at various hours of the night, leaving her unable to fall back asleep, or at least sleep peacefully. With all her tossing and turning, Caroline was surprised that Klaus, being the light sleeper he was, hadn't woken up and moved to the couch once. She was secretly glad he didn't, though. Caroline found his solid weight comforting and she shifted slightly towards the warmth that came from his body before readjusting her position in bed.

A wave of nausea crashed over her. Caroline couldn't be sure if it was because she realized the meaning of the dream or if she moved too much, but it was all she could do to make it to the bathroom before she emptied the contents of her stomach.

"Caroline, sweetheart?" she heard Klaus normally smooth lilt, roped with worry, coming to stand behind her, groggy and worried. She felt him hold her hair with one hand, the other rubbing circles across her back with his thumb. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" he asked again as Caroline straightened up, fighting to control her breathing. Klaus regarded her with a worried glance as he grasped her gently by her arms, trying to get her to look at him.

The longer she looked down, the longer he couldn't see her beautiful, eyes, the more fright he had to fight down, "Caroline, answer me."

"I don't know! I mean it has to be morning sickness, but the dreams and…and I don't know," she whimpered, trailing off, hating how irrationally scared she felt.

Nik frowned, just the mention of bad dreams made his head hurt, "Dreams? What dreams, Darling?" he asked, while brushing a hand against her forehead gently to make sure she wasn't feverish. He remembered that his own body temperature sky-rockets when he has nightmares.

"I keep having weird dreams," she took a deep, shaky breath, "They're so _real._ And I-I can't sleep." A few tears escaped her blue-green eyes.

"For how long?" The question was simple and warranted a definitive answer, but she could tell that he was more worried for her than he logically should be.

"Days…weeks…I dunno!"

Klaus pulled her against his chest, keeping his arms locked around her, and held her there close to his heart as she tried to calm down. "Come on, love. Back to bed."

"I won't go back to sleep," Caroline mumbled into his shoulder with several small shakes of her head.

"Shh, Caroline. It's alright, love. It's me; you're safe. You're okay now. Trust me," Klaus said, pulling away just enough to look down into her face. She didn't respond so Klaus picked her up bridal style and carried her back to their bed. He continued to hold her against him protectively when they lay back down. His hand rubbed her back and he immediately knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep either. as long as she was upset. He always seemed to absorb her moods. He contemplated what to say.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he heard himself ask, almost feeling like it was coming from someone else. The only person he'd ever had to really comfort was Rebekah. And even that wasn't too hard, because whenever he felt unsure of how to help, she would smile at him for even trying. Somehow, he felt that Caroline needed more than just an attempt. He just was never comfortable having people trust him; it always made him feel like he would suddenly drop the ball and let them down. It didn't quite feel like that with Caroline though. He found himself _wanting_ her to trust him. It may've been hard to let Caroline comfort him, but to comfort her…that felt like breathing to him, something natural that he _had _to do.

His question startled Caroline so she didn't respond as she listened to the beating of his heart. She was sure his query had surprised him just as much as it did her; Klaus was never the one to ask anyone about their inner feelings out of fear he wouldn't like the answer. Caroline thought for another moment before responding.

"It was my sixth birthday party. It started with Elena and I, walking through my old house. We were dressed like little princesses, sparkly tiaras on our heads. It was a princess party and I made everyone, even the boys, dress up."

He laughed once, despite the mood of the situation, because he could just imagine his Caroline, little like that, and it didn't surprise him at all that she could get them all to dress up with one request; she could get him to do anything, just by looking at him with those eyes.

"But Stefan, Lexi, Damon, Elijah and Rebekah were there. I cried at the party, in real life, 'cause Elena was hogging Matt to herself and I was convinced I'd never get the prince and live happily ever after. I felt like I'd never get to ride into the sunset on that white horse, like I'd be left behind watching Elena take everything. I felt like that all through highschool, too. But then they weren't kids anymore and Elena was being all lovey-dovey with Damon and she had Alex with her and Matt was with Rebekah and Katherine with Elijah. And they were all moving on while I was stuck and I started crying because I got scared," she said as her voice dropped to a whisper, "I thought I was going to have to do everything alone…because…" she took a deep, stabilizing breath, debating how he would react, "'cause you weren't there…I…I looked around for my prince and I didn't have one."

Klaus squeezed his eyes shut at her confession, as he tightened his hold on Caroline's waist ever so slightly. He now understood where Caroline's dream had come from; she was subconsciously scared that he wasn't really there for her, that he would one day disappear and leave her all alone. And that fear made her feel like a little child. He knew his Caroline; she was strong-willed and brave…and he knew she hated feeling defenseless. It was then he realized that his hand rested over her stomach. He was subconsciously protecting both of felt some of her tears wet his shoulder and he moved to kiss her forehead.

"I'm right here, love. I thought you knew that. I'm so sorry if I made you feel, in any way, like you were alone."

She continued staring at his shoulder, trying to quiet her sniffing.

When she didn't say anything, he continued trying to convince her, "Listen, Caroline, please," he sighed as he saw her eyes look up at him, and her meek look cracked something in his heart, "I know that I've acted horribly about this whole situation. And you know why I have. But no matter my reasons, there is no excuse for leaving you on shaking ground. I just realized how my pulling away didn't just leave you in the dark, it left you by yourself to deal with all of this. Believe me when I say that that is the last thing I ever wanted to do. I just didn't realize…"

She blinked up at him, ridding herself of the tears, "I know you didn't, Nik. You have reason to be…unsure…about this, but I mean…even when I know you love me, I still…I guess I wasn't sure that you're resolve to do this _with_ me…would stay."

He shook his head, cursing himself, "I damn myself, Caroline, for making you doubt that. I…I guess your worries weren't unwarranted, but you have to realize something, Sweetheart-the only thing that truly matters to me…is you. The only thing I care about is us and anything that comes from us."

"Promise?"

"I love you, Caroline Forbes," he said, lips moving against her temple in an uncharacteristic declaration of his feelings towards her. "Always and forever. I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart. I never will."

He felt strange as he laid there in bed with her, his love falling asleep curled against him, like he just saw something that he had been blind to for all of his life. Ever since he could remember, the idea of family to him was his siblings, only them. He had never known what it would be like to have a father that actually wanted to be a father. The very idea of becoming anything that Mikael was made him cringe internally, but he suddenly understood; being the father to Caroline's child wasn't being anything that Mikael ever was, because Mikael was never any kind of father. That may be one of the only things you _couldn't_ accurately call Mikael- a father. Not only was he not a good father, he wasn't really a father at all. That meant that if he accepted his own fatherhood, which would inevitably happen, he would be achieving one of the only things Mikael could never have-love and family.

He smiled to himself as the idea wasn't so blocked from his heart and mind anymore, he could let it sink in, and he would. He would do anything in his power to be the opposite of what Mikael was. He understood now; Caroline wasn't the only thing that mattered to him. Caroline and the baby were.

**A/n: **_Sorry about all the flash-backs, but we both felt like we'd been focusing so much on Nik's story that we'd sort of forgotten to give Caroline a back-story. So, hope you enjoy them. _


	9. Deleted 'Wedding Distraction' Scene

**A/n: **_This deleted scene is because Joseph Morgan is fuck hot. Just saying. For any of you who want to be seduced by a Joseph fanvid: watch?v=GdjqltrVxX0&feature=related _

_And warning: T plus rating on this one kiddies for language and um…slight sexual situations. _

"_I'm tellin' myself that it's not a good idea_

_But the more I hesitate, the more I get to feeling it."_

"We are gathered here today..." Caroline tried her hardest to listen to the slightly nasally voice of the minister as Klaus continued to draw delicate circles on her thigh, discreetly pushing the fabric of her dress up to just above her knee.

She shot her eyes over to him once again to send him an acid glare. His only response was possibly the most wicked smirk in Mikaelson history.

"Nik," she hissed quietly, "I'm trying to enjoy the ceremony out of respect to your brother."

"I hate weddings," he murmured smoothly, not sounding angry, just matter-of fact, he tilted his head at her and the light shone more directly through his eyes. _Damn those baby blues, _"Sitting still for an hour just to watch two people join into an institution that has over a thirty percent divorce rate."

She rolled her eyes; she was used to his negative opinion regarding matrimony. She knew he was happy for his brother; even Nik had to admit that Katherine, for some reason, made Elijah happy. And both Nik and Caroline knew that Elijah was traditional and there was nothing in the world that would give him more joy than making the woman he loved officially his.

That respect did not, however, mean that Nik wasn't currently trying to decide which hard surface to bang his head against. He was bored. And irritated, which usually goes along with his boredom.

He leaned over slightly to invade his girlfriend's personal space, reducing the space between her shoulder and his chest to two inches. He ran a finger down her arm softly, sending shivers down her spine like electric shock, "I could think of more interesting ways to spend an hour…or two…"

His voice was delicious and she cursed his accent for the fiftieth time that afternoon. It wasn't fair for him to be able to just turn on his 'fuck me' voice like that and get anything he wanted from her; she had very high suspicions that he purposely thickened his accent whenever he wanted something. _And damn me if it doesn't WORK eight percent of the time…_she thought bitterly, laughing at her own lack of self control when it came to him. Ironically, she didn't realize that she had the same power over him; all she had to do was bring out her 'I'm Caroline Forbes and I know I'm sexy' eyes or purposely pull her top down a little, and he'd forget his objections. For Nik's sake, he better hope she never realizes said fact.

She turned her head back to him slowly, partly to make him think that she was pissed off-which she was- and partly to banish the flush in her cheeks before speaking, "Niklaus," she warned by just using his real name, "So help me God, if you don't shut up and behave…"

He laughed. _He has the freakin audacity to laugh?_

She couldn't help but notice how beautiful his face was when he was smiling, like some strange mix between a mischievous little boy and a powerful man. _Shut up, Subconcious, not helping. _She really wanted to hit herself sometimes, but in the current venue, she'd probably get weird looks.

The side of his mouth turned up as he turned his head sideways.

"What are you-"

"Shh," He interrupted the start of what she liked to think would've been a very cutting remark, "Hear that, love? It's your heartbeat sky-rocketing. And before you say it, yes I know I can't actually hear it, but I can however feel it," he raised one eyebrow at her as he waited for her to realize what he meant.

Then she understood-his hand was still on her arm, meaning he could take her pulse if he wanted to. Her face fell.

She frowned and flinched her arm away from him, "Shut up, Nik."

His smirk grew when he realized that she was too flustered to come up with another comeback.

But instead of trying to tease her more vocally, he opted for the silent approach. He leaned back in his overly-comfy chair (Katherine was a Bridezilla and had them imported from some place he doesn't remember the name of) and slung and arm casually over the back of Caroline's chair. He knew it was a trite move, but it was all part of the plan. Besides, he didn't really care in what way he accomplished it, he just wanted Caroline. Immediately.

He watched her get ready earlier today, the whole three hour process was the only part of this occasion he actually enjoyed. He liked seeing her dress and primp and prepare. The way she moved and the facial expressions she made as she chose an ensemble intruiged him. He had no bloody idea why, but he knew they did. And having been watching her all day, he was eager to use more than just his eyes to 'look' at her. She had some strange effect on him that he didn't yet understand; he was drawn to every part of her, mentally and physically, like someone put a spell on him without his knowledge. Her smile did frightening things to his heart and whenever her skin touched his, even an arm or leg, a heat like a driving force took over his brain for a second and fed to some other feeling he still didn't comprehend fully.

So, needless to say, he was…excited. He carefully dropped his arm from her shoulders to around her waist, going slowly so not to arouse her suspicions, like he would with a caged animal. _Hmm, my lioness…not a bad thought. _She always did remind him of something feline. She stiffened but did not turn her head from the proceedings in front of her. He however had no idea which part of the ceremony they were even at; they could've said their vows by now and he wouldn't have noticed. He teasingly let his fingers loosen around her waist, using his thumb to rub circles on her side and letting his forefingers splay out to stroke across her stomach, enjoying the feel of the warm, silky material sliding against his rough hands.

She inhaled a sharp gasp, loud enough for the guests beside them to hear, louder than their whispers.

A head or two turned towards her to see what was going on; Caroline thought she saw Lexi turn her head slightly to smirk from the row in front of her. She couldn't be sure, of course, because of the torturous sensations running through her stomach from the way he was moving his fingers against her. _Damn, why does he have to know that my sides are my weak spot? Damn, damn, damn! _

She tried to calm her breathing and ignore him, but it seemed the more she tuned him out, the more it made him want to break her. His hand tightened around her waist a little as he turned his fingers to scratch down her sides with the blunt of his fingernails. She could hear her heart rate start to beat harder in her ears as her entire neck and shoulders went hot. She couldn't remove his hand without making a fuss and alerting the other guests to their…situation. Her eyes lit up evilly as she thought of an idea for payback. She slowly leaned back in her chair until she was trapping his arm between the chair and her back.

She heard his slightly growl and flicked her eyes over to see his own eyes darkening, whether from anger or something else she didn't know, but then again his anger was always sort of connected to his lust for some reason.

"Decided to play the game then, love?"

His question was meant to be playful, but his voice came out lower than he intended.

She only smirked, turning her head back to face forward. If she had learned one thing about how to win their little quarrels, it was to never reveal her hand before the game was over. She remained silent as she thought of her next move. She had to restrain a grin when she got an idea. _Let's see how HE deals with distraction… _

She crossed left ankle behind her right to carefully slip the strap of her shoes off her right heel and shimmied her very-cute-satin-pump off her foot. She wiggled her toes in anticipation, enjoying the rogue feeling of playing temptress.

With everyone's eyes focused on the happy couple at the altar, no one noticed when she slid her toes up the back of his calf. Well, no one except him that is. His shoulders tensed like he'd been tazed as the current of heat rippled up his back. He fought back a shudder. Some vague part of his mind noted that he'd forgotten that Caroline knows his own weak spots as well, but he only had enough coherency left for that one clear thought. He'd been accidentally working himself up all day with thoughts of her. This was not a good idea.

"Caroline," he warned, breathing into her ear.

She stayed facing forward, the only sign of their game being the slight quirk of her ruby red lips.

_It's working_, with that thought running through her head, she, inconspicuously as possible, moved her hand over to rest on his leg. His cautious stare quickly turned into a glare as he realized what her idea was. But for some reason, he didn't move her hand as she started to gently scratch his leg, drawing nonsensical patterns up and down his thigh. He had to breathe through his nose as he felt his blood start flowing faster in his veins, the friction sending fire to pool in his stomach.

"Caroline," this time it wasn't a warning, it was a growl and his tone could almost turn her name into an expletive.

She let out a near-silent giggle at his expense as she got her best and last idea; she turned her hand and started trailing her fingers toward his inner thigh, raising her hand higher and-

His hand shot out from his side to grab he wrist in a vice grip. She grinned as she saw the tension freezing his arm, his tendons taught like iron wires.

"Stop it."

She finally turned her face towards his, "Why? _You_ started it."

His eyes narrowed and his glare turned hotter, "Really? You're going with the 'you started it' excuse? Can't think of anything better, Sweetheart?" he practically purred the endearment, but somehow it didn't sound sweet. It sounded like it could melt metal.

"Would the two of you shut up? Or at least go somewhere else to do this? We're at a wedding for Christ's sake!"

The incredulous and slightly amused whisper of one of their best friend's Lexi cut through the little bubble they'd been isolating themselves in. Stefan smirked with an arm around his girlfriend, staying silent as he enjoyed his buddy's embarrassment.

Caroline blinked in shock for a second, processing what had just happened, before she let out a breathless laugh, "Sorry," she mouthed then nodded towards Klaus, "His fault."

"_My _fault?" he hissed quietly, "Alright, that's it-I'm getting up under pretense of using the restroom now, follow behind me in twenty seconds."

She shook her head at him dubiously, "Why do you just assume you can boss me into-"

He smirked, "Twenty seconds, Caroline."

_Could he, maybe just once, not call bullshit when he knows I'm lying? It'd sure help my inner feminist. Who am I kidding? _

When she stood up and left the room twenty seconds later, she could only pray that Elijah wouldn't see and that Lexi wouldn't tell and that, God forbid, anyone need their coat in the next half hour.

* * *

The moment she opened the door to the coat closet, a strong arm pulled her in, spun her around, and pinned her against the opposite wall, knocking over a coat rack in the process.

"Points for subtly," she murmured teasingly, nibbling on his ear as she chuckled, "They'll definitely suspect now."

He growled and rolled his eyes, "I've wanted you all day, darling, so excuse me for saying this, but frankly, I don't give a damn if they know exactly what we're doing. I wouldn't even care if the bloody priest walked in right now."

"It's a minister, Nik; we're in a protestant church."

He only stared at her blankly, fighting a glare.

"Right," she nodded a second later, twisting her finger in the curls at the nape of his neck, "You don't give a shit."

He nodded approvingly as he let out one laugh before gluing his mouth to her lips.

"I love your voice, but for now, sweetheart, your mouth could be used for much better purposes," he muttered somehow, with no breath left, as he pulled away for only a moment.

She smirked at him as she pulled his head to her and went in for his neck, trailing kisses and nips down his skin.

He groaned as felt himself respond to her, in every way. It was like their brains were on overload, trying to tell them that there was no room left for processing any of these feelings and the sensory receptors were overheating from use.

He grabbed her by the waist and pushed her up against the wall they'd just vacated, trapping both her hands above her head in one of his and making a circuit down her jaw, placing hot open mouthed kisses and running his teeth down her neck. She moaned as she struggled with his grip, trying to break free, wanting to reach for him, any part of him, "Nik, please."

"Mmm," he hummed as he skimmed his nose down between her breasts, flicking the strap of her dress off one of her shoulder with his free hand, "Please, what?"

She sighed at the tingling sensation shooting straight to her core, "My hands," she breathed, "Let go of them."

He looked up into her face, locking eyes with her for a second, and not for the first time, she wondered how they could communicate more with their eyes in three seconds than they could during an hour long argument.

And just like that, he dropped her hands, hesitating for a moment, put off his guard by how easily he'd given into her, before smirking and continuing his earlier ministrations.

She groaned low in her throat as he placed on kiss on the very top of her right breast, "Niklaus."

His chest tightened at hearing his real name fall from her lips; to him, it was the ultimate sign that she accepted him, all of him, even like this and he had the bizarre feeling that she might accept him even if she ever found about his 'father', but he quickly dismissed the thought. Still, he felt strangely blessed and he was not used to that sentiment at all.

He felt her grab onto the lapels of his suit jacket and crush them in her fists, pulling his chest flat against hers and finding his mouth again. He had no complaints, he quickly swiped his tongue across her lips and she opened them in comply, running hers over the roof of his mouth.

He growled as he saw light flash behind his eyes and he blinked to dispel the blinding feeling.

The last thing he distinctly noted was how quickly she threw his suit jacket to the floor behind them.

* * *

Twenty minutes later they realized they had to get back before gossip set in, and they somehow found themselves back in their seats, rumpled clothes and mussed hair.

"And now, the rings."

Caroline saw Elijah automatically looked towards Nik and remembered that it was the best man's job to keep the rings safe.

Elijah held out his hand to Nik, "Yes, minister, my brother has them."

Luckily, Nik was sitting close to the altar so all Elijah had to do was take a step down to reach him. Well, it wasn't really luck-it was Katherine's meticulous seating chart.

"Niklaus…" Elijah's voice was questioning and caused Caroline to quickly look towards the man beside her. His eyes were wide as saucers and she would've laughed if the situation were different because she'd never seen more panic on his face, "I asked for the rings?"

"Nik," Caroline whispered urgently, "Where'd you put the rings?"

He turned his head towards her and hissed back in her ear, "In my coat pocket…"

That's when it hit her, like a metaphorical ton of bricks. _Son of a bitch, _"You mean the coat I ripped off you…" she whispered in his ear so no one else could overhear.

He nodded at her silently, his eyes scared and angry, a hard combination to pull off. For most people.

"Niklaus!" Elijah whisper-shouted with authority, then turned back towards the minister, "Sorry, my brother can be forgetful in all the excitement. The minister only nodded, smiling politely, a little scared of Elijah's worried-out-of-his mind tone.

"Where are the rings, Niklaus?"

By this time, the whole audience was starting to get restless, some glaring and some rolling their eyes. Two of them smirking.

The real answer he probably didn't want to hear-on the floor in the coat room-but neither Caroline nor Klaus could figure out how to think of a convincing lie and go run to get the rings at the same time.

"Uhm…I…left them in my coat in the coatroom…after I took it off at the door…I'll go get them now."

Katherine glared, her eyes vicious, "You came into this ceremony with your coat _on_. And maybe you didn't notice, but _you're wearing your coat right now!_"

"It was in mine," Caroline piped up, "He put it in my coat pocket, which I _did _take off. I'll just go get them now."

Katherine glared as Elijah raised his eyebrows in shock.

Caroline felt obligated to explain, do the polite thing, so she turned stood up and turned around, "Sorry, everyone, I forgot the rings were in my coat!"

"Caroline! Just get them _quickly _and stop _announcing_!"

"Shut up, Nik!"

Neither Katherine nor Elijah believed either excuse as they watched Caroline fail at running down the aisle conspicuously. Nik prayed that she'd get back quickly; the 'happy couple's glares were starting to burn holes in his forehead.

**A/n: **_Oh and I am currently trying to get some very talented Klaroline shippers to make a trailer for one of my Klaroline fanfictions. Which one do you guys think it should be? And yes, I know that a real wedding ceremony, the vows and all, would not take over thirty minutes, but for the purpose of the story, just suspend your disbelief for a moment._

_Review! _

_Oh, and I promise you that updates are coming soon. I apologize for being laze. But Life With the Originals and Not Quite a Century will either both be updated soon or one of be updated soon. I already have the next two chapters of both planned out, but I also have to help my friend with her Percy Jackson stories. Check her out: Mandi2341_

_-Pixie. _


	10. Brothers and Sisters

**A/n: **_Ok, I'm falling in love with Mabekah now as well. We both love them. Maybe it's because I have older brothers as well and can identify with that, but I think it's because she projects fake strength because she thinks she's weak because so many people have told her that, but she actually is strong inside, behind the anger. I feel like a stable gentleman like Matt would really help balance that. _

_And I apologize for the long wait, we're very sorry, but we both got writers' block at the same time…Anyway, if there are any consistency errors, let us know, we had a confusing time editing together both our versions. _

_watch?v=9P3ka_0ZjBk&feature=fvwrel _

_Lyrics for this chapter inspired by Matt and Rebekah's relationship:_

"_Everybody's got a dark side. Do you love me? Can you love mine?"_

"Babe…what're you doing?" Matt yawned, covering his face with a hand to block the sunlight that was seeping in through the blinds.

Rebekah groaned and picked up the shoe she had accidently dropped noisily to the tiled bathroom floor. She really hadn't meant to wake up Matt. "I'm sorry," she said, walking over to the bed. "I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep, Matty."

"What're you doing up so early? Come back to bed," he pleaded with a sleepy smile.

Rebekah ran a hand through his cropped blonde hair with a smile of her own. "I have to go see my brother. I'll be back in a bit."

"Klaus?"

"I'm worried about him. He's so scattered right now, thanks to Caroline. It worries me to see him like this."

Matt pursed his lips as he pulled himself into a sitting position. "It's not Caroline's fault, Beks. Don't go around blaming her for any of this." Rebekah just rolled her eyes. "Look, I know you don't like her for whatever reason but she's just as much my sister as Klaus is your brother. She doesn't deserve the blame, trust me. You just haven't let yourself get to know her yet."

"So Nik deserves it?" She ignored the part of the statement that pinpointed her inability to let Caroline in.

"No! Of course not! That's not what I'm saying," he was used to her taking things too personally by now.

"But you're taking her side over _mine_."

"Rebekah," Matt groaned. "You know I love you, Babe. I'm not taking sides, I'm trying to look at the big picture and be mutual about the whole thing. If anything, I'm team…," he paused to think, "Team Klaroline," he said with a goofy smile that made Rebekah fondly roll her eyes at her boyfriend's declaration. "I want this for them and I think it would mean the world to your brother if you could support him through it all, not constantly pester him about Caroline."

Rebekah sighed, breaking their eye contact. "I'm tired of seeing him get hurt. I want to help him, I'm just not good at it," she said dejectedly.

"Hey, c'mon, Beks. Don't say that. You're plenty good at it," he said, pulling Rebekah to him and running a hand through her straightened, platinum locks, resting his chin on the top of her head. Rebekah didn't respond and Matt sighed as he continued to play with her hair. It was moments like these where he cursed Rebekah's insecurities. She was so strong all the time and it made him forget that she was still this fragile girl.

All her life, Rebekah had been moved around from foster home to foster home and was never really able to live a life that a normal high school aged girl should. Until Matt came along, she had never experienced anything other than the love she felt for her brothers, Klaus in particular, and the love they felt for her in return. Even if her favorite brother's version of affection was a little…different, because of all the family drama that had plagued him and, in effect, the rest of the Mikaelson siblings.

But, if Matt was being totally honest- something he always made a point of doing- he wouldn't trade the Rebekah he had come to know for the world. He admired her strength, but he enjoyed being able to give her the little things in life that she missed out on, like simply being able to comfort her and tell her how strong and how special she was.

It was safe to say that Matt had been not only Rebekah's 'moral compass', but all of his friends' at one point or another. He didn't really know why he characterized himself that way, maybe it was because he had to grow up a lot faster than his friends since his mom had abandoned him and his late sister, Vicki, while they were only in middle school, and again when his sister had died of drug overdose his junior year of high school, leaving him alone to pay off bills that should have never been his responsibility. But then again, he would always shake his head at that thought because everyone in the little group he now found himself associated with -basically the same group he had grown up with, the only additions being Lexi and three of the Mikaelson siblings-had experienced some degree of abandonment at one point or another.

He remembered asking Rebekah why she constantly hung around him. He had never really liked her in the beginning. No one from Mystic Falls High really ever warmed to the new, blond girl that transferred from some small-town British highschool so he felt bad when she couldn't even get a ride home. So one day, he offered to drop her off at her current foster home. He hadn't meant to startle her with her question, or even upset her, he had just been genuinely curious why she found him so interesting; he found himself awkward, to say the least: still a boy at heart trapped in a teenager's body where his head wouldn't let the boy out because he was 'grown up' and had to take care of himself. Matt would be lying if he said her response hadn't surprised him.

"You're nice and smart and funny. You…you just care. About everything and everyone," she had said, flashing her eyes to his face before staring at her hands in her lap where she had been picking at her nails. Silence came over the cab of his truck and Matt was sure she was done talking, he wouldn't push her any further on the matter- his dad, even if he hadn't been in Matt's life for very long, had taught young Matt that it took a lot of courage for girls to confess their feelings towards a boy.

But, as she often did, Rebekah had surprised him. "I'd like to think that my brother would have turned out like you if he had been given the chance," she had whispered, still wringing her hands and picking at her nails nervously.

Before Matt had been able get over his surprise and respond, Rebekah had silently thanked him for the ride and jumped out of the truck. But it hadn't mattered; Matt's perception of the platinum-blonde mean girl had changed drastically with just four sentences. There was just something he saw in her face when she smiled self-consciously as she got out of his truck.

He started to talk to her at school, and, much to Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline's dismay, he even started inviting her to sit with him, Tyler, Jeremy, and the other three girls at lunch. He asked her to Prom spring of their senior year- just as friends of course, but despite the ridicule he had gotten from his friends-minus Tyler; Tyler had always said that Matt needed to make a move if Rebekah was desperate enough to keep hanging around him because she was hot-where he learned about her brother, Klaus.

He learned that they had never been separated in the foster care system until now. The family that they had been together with was going to put Klaus through college- and grad school if Klaus chose- because they thought he was incredibly talented and brilliant, but in order to do that, the family said that they would only be able to take care of him, meaning Rebekah would have to be removed. Matt learned that Klaus nearly said no just to stay with his sister but Rebekah convinced him otherwise, "It wasn't pretty," she had said as they leaned over the railing on Wickery Bridge, looking into the river below throwing shadows on the water,"Nik has quite possibly the worst temper in the entire world. He wouldn't speak to me for a few days after I told him to let them help him because he deserved this chance, but he relented in the end. Although…I _do_ miss him."

Thankfully that conversation hadn't been too teary-eyed but, as their friendship progressed, so did the depth of their conversations and the tears that came with them. As hard as some of those conversations had been, Matt wouldn't redo any of it if he was given a chance.

"What are you thinking about?" Rebekah asked, sitting up and narrowing her eyes in his direction.

"Oh, just this girl I know. I met her in high school where no one really liked her. People though she was just a mean girl, but no one realized she acted the way she acted because she's the strongest, most gorgeous girl I've ever met and didn't want anyone to know," he said casually with a shrug.

Rebekah smiled but rolled her eyes.

"You're face is going to get stuck like that. And listen, don't worry too much about this double date thing tomorrow," Matt's eye had that honest twinkle that normally made her smile.

The blond scoffed, immediately standing up and turning back towards the bed to stare down at him. Well, stare is too kind a word.

"I'm not _worried_. Why would I worry about hanging out with Nik and Caroline? And Nik…I don't bloody care what my brother thinks," she finished her little ramble with the slightest angry purse of her lips, abruptly sitting back down next to her boyfriend.

Matt immediately chuckled, not even holding back when he saw her icy eyes switch over to him and glare petulantly.

He stared at the mask of her still hard face and he raised one eyebrow, silently asking if she's _really_ mad, and upon seeing her face stay in exactly the same expression he sighed and pulled her closer into his side, "Oh come on, Rebekah. You can't fool me. I'm the American Lie Detector, remember?"

She rolled her eyes and tried not to smile warmly as she remembered why she gave him that nickname; she'd never met anyone who could cut through her melodramatic bullshit as fast or clearly as Matt could.

"Look, Babe, we both know how much your brothers' opinions matter to you," she looked down when hearing his words, not wanting to feel like the annoying kid sister again, "Especially, Nik. I know you would probably never admit this, but Niklaus Mikaelson is your favorite person in the world. No, don't scoff at me. You may hate his guts half the time, but we both know what he means to you."

She stared into his eyes for a long time, trying to decide if there was anything left in her own eyes that he couldn't see, any trace or shred of fake-confidence, protective anger, childish vengeance.

Finally, she realized it didn't matter-she'd given in to what they were a long time ago.

It was a little over a year after they'd started dating, and he had asked when he could meet her family…it hadn't gone over well.

"I don't understand why it's such a big drama to you, Rebekah!"

She'd stared at him like he'd lost his mind and refrained from throwing her arms into the air, "Because…it just _is_, Matt! I don't want you to meet them! I mean…yet."

She'd meant what she said the first time; she _never_ wanted Matt to meet her family. Not because she hated either party, but because…they just didn't go together in her head. Her family was where she came from, what she held onto and pushed away at the same time. They sometimes made her feel like that helpless little kid again. She knew Elijah and Nik didn't mean it like that, but Kol always did.

And it wasn't just that…Matt was new. Matt was something, the only person really, that made her feel beautiful and strong and…not like a stupid, little blonde orphan. Not that her brothers purposely made her feel stupid, she remembered a time when Nik even socked a boy in the face who'd made the mistake of calling her 'ditsy'.

It was just that…with them, and with Matt, she felt like two different people, and she couldn't reconcile the always-being-protected little sister and the independent and influencing woman. Matt had taught her a way to stand on her own and still be loved. She could depend on him, and still be her own person.

She didn't want to mix the two people; she was both of those people and she feared that if they strayed from their separate sides, she'd forget how to be either.

He stared at her, his eyes wide as they'd realized something, hardening in understanding, she'd never seen that bright blue look like ice before, "No, not 'yet'. You just don't want them to meet me, do you?"

She'd scowled, an automatic sign to him that she was about to lie and/or shut him out, he'd learned most of her tells by now, "Don't be silly, Matt."

But her voice was shaky, even she could hear it.

He'd walked up, right in front of her and she remembered how far he had to tilt his head down to look her in the eyes, "I'm not being 'silly', Bekah…and you're not mad at me. You're afraid. What are you scared of, Rebekah?"

Her eyes flitted around, searching for something to focus on, because she couldn't face his eyes yet, she couldn't look into them; she knew if she did, he would see all she was hiding in an instant. She hated that he could do that. She couldn't find anything to look at anymore; she titled her chin up hesitantly, to see his eyes and she suddenly forgot why she didn't want to tell him, tell anyone, "Myself."

All the anger vanished from his eyes and his mouth parted in slight shock. He'd asked out a hard-headed, smart, beautiful girl. He'd started a relationship with that girl, because he saw past all her faults. And now he realized that he loved her not despite them, but because of them, all parts of her included. Because that girl he'd asked out was not standing in front of him. An amazing little girl who was scared and yet had found a way to be brave was staring out through his girlfriend's eyes.

He wasn't sure he quite understood what she meant yet, but he realized he wanted to. He wanted to understand everything she was okay with showing him, "What do you mean, Rebekah?"

She loved that he always addressed her with her name whenever he asked a question. He would never just say 'What do you mean?' He always made her feel like he was listening to her, only her, and could hear nothing else.

"I-" she found it was harder to focus what she meant, harder to reveal it, when he was looking at her like that, "I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I just…I'm afraid of who I'd be…if I didn't have _anyone_…and I don't want to be afraid of that. I want to be able to be exactly who I want to be, even if I'm alone. I always seemed to need to be saved when I was younger and…I hate feeling like that when I _know_ I don't need that help…but, sometimes others just assume I do."

She watched as his face transformed from open to a gentle smirk, something only he could pull off, and she read the sudden realization in his eyes before he spoke, "I think I understand, Bekah, I'm not just saying that to make you feel better."

She laughed once and decided to look down, staring at her shoes, "Sure you do."

She looked up, surprised, when she heard him groan, frustrated and annoyed, when he spoke he was staring hard at her, somehow not making it seem like he was glaring, "Stop it. Just stop it, Rebekah. Stop acting like no one understands you, when really, how can they when you never let anybody _see_ you? I don't mean when you get all dressed up when we go out and guys leer at you like idiots. That's not _you_ they're seeing, it's some pretty plastic mask you put on. Why do you do that?" he scoffed when he saw her open her mouth to reply, "Never mind. I think I've already figured that out."

"Mat, I-" she didn't know where this was going, but her heart was starting to beat faster and she could feel her fear in her throat like a heavy weight.

He shook his head quickly, silently telling her not to talk, and he took her by the arms, not tight enough to hurt her, but enough to keep her grounded for a minute. She realized now that that's what he was always doing for her.

"You don't want me to meet your family…because you don't want me to see who you are when you're around them. Are you afraid that you won't know how to be yourself when you start to feel like that kid sister again? Is that it, Rebekah?"

She'd blinked up at him, hating the doe-eyed look that it gave her, but not being able to help it in her shock. How is it possible that someone could take one look at her, listen to what she said, and suddenly understand things about her that she'd never admitted out loud?"

"How…how do you do that?"

"Do what?" he was starting to smirk again.

"Know things that I don't say out loud."

"If I said that I was a mind-reader, would you slap me?"

He was getting cheeky now.

"Yes."

He laughed, his shoulders shaking as he pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her, strong.

She turned her cheek to rest it on his chest and smiled.

He sighed, "Your eyes."

She furrowed her eyebrows and pulled back just enough to look up at him again, "Huh?"

He grinned wide and the phrase 'All-American Boy' flashed through her head bizzarely.

"That's how I know. I don't know how…but I can see exactly what you're feeling in your eyes," he shrugged, "And then I just guess-I put the dots together from what you tell me."

"You listen," she breathed, smiling up at him and realizing how grateful she was.

He laughed once and nodded, pulling her back into the hug, "I'll always listen," he whispered against the top of her head.

She understood now that she wasn't helping anything by being difficult, so she let out the breath she'd been holding and laid her head against the soft plaid material covering his strong chest, "What if he never approves of us, Matty?"

He grinned at her nickname, he had been used to it coming from Caroline, his childhood best friend and ex-girlfriend, but it felt different when she said it. It felt like home, like it was his duty to help her whenever she ran off the tracks.

"Then he doesn't approve."

She stilled, and sat up, looking at him with a rare set of doe eyes, "What do you mean?"

He smiled the mega-watt smile that made everyone love him at her, "I mean that us, what we are, will still be here even if _no one _approves."

She half-smiled at him, not feeling up to a whole one, despite the comfort blooming in her chest at his words, "I know being with me was hard for you at first, Matt. Thank you."

He smirked at her, his blue eyes shining, "For your sake though, I hope he does understand."

She smiled.

"If not, screw his anger," he grinned softly.

She sighed, "I need to talk to him, don't I?"

He laughed and shook his head again, "Beks, you don't need me to answer that. For once."

She pushed on his chest until he fell backwards into the couch and looked at her with uncharacteristic surprise, "Rebekah Mikaelson."

She smirked, "Shut up, Matthew, you know I'm vengeful and you deserved it. I have to go yell at- I mean speak to- my brother."

* * *

She huffed out a sigh as she put a hand on her hip, "Nik, I knocked five bloody times. I know you're home. Are you in your art studio? I bet you are, you never answer the door when you're working. I actually wish Caroline was home right now, just so _someone_ would let me in! I swear I'm not trying to annoy you, _that much_, but I need to talk to you and-"

Suddenly the door swung open and her brother was revealed standing in the doorway, "You know, that whole-ramble-on-until-I get annoyed-and-give-in thing? I'd really hoped you would've grown out of that by now," his eyes were hard, irritated, but contrastingly, he had a small smirk on his face. It seemed the main two reactions his kid sister got out of him were amusement and irritation.

She rolled her eyes on instinct at first, before letting a smug smile take its place on her delicate face, "Please, it's way too useful a method to retire. Were you going to let me in?"

He laughed once, partly scoffing, "I know you purposely chose to come over at a time when Caroline wasn't here, so don't pretend you wish she was. She's over at Elena's talking to her and Lexi."

She shrugged, "At least she'd let me in. Don't look so excited to see me, one might start to think you actually care. Did you know your shirt's on backwards?"

"Bekah, it's too early to play your games. Even you're smart enough to not bother me this early." Klaus warned, narrowing his eyes.

She raised her eyebrows as she walked into the living room, shooting him a confused and dubious look before she passed him, "You were already up painting anyway. And is that compliment or an insult? I couldn't tell."

He laughed and pushed her into the kitchen with a hand on her back, "That was the point."

He pulled down two glasses from the cabinet and poured them both some orange juice, which Rebekah made a face at. "Don't worry, it's a new carton- I haven't had the opportunity to open it yet," he said with a smirk.

She flopped down onto one of the stools by the counter gracefully, crossing her legs like she owned the place. The both of them had that manner when they wanted to they could make arrogance elegant.

He stood, refusing to sit down until she gave him a reason to, paint still on his hands, "Did you have something important to discuss, sister?"

She pursed her lips and snorted, in a ladylike way, "I already told you I needed to talk to you. And you would've known I was coming if you ever bothered to check your phone."

"You know I don't look at my phone while I'm painting."

The side of her smile quirked up in a smirk and she laughed freely, being one of the only people who can laugh at him without upsetting him, "You lost it again, didn't you?"

He didn't say anything, but the way he frowned and looked away confirmed it for her anyway.

She stood up and walked the three steps between them, wiping her thumb across his cheek, "You still haven't learned to not touch you face while you paint," she laughed.

"No," he frowned, "I'm just too focused to notice that I do it…What was it you wanted to speak with me about?"

She sighed and sat back down, "Well, I'm glad to see you're already in a bad mood before I start this."

He shook his head and tried to smooth out the frown on his face, "I'm…sorry, Rebekah. I've just been…unsettled lately."

She nodded, understanding. Ever since they were young, he'd been closed off-naturally-and she'd been the only one that he would ever talk to, her grin being the only thing that could stop him during a tirade. If Rebekah hadn't constantly insisted that he come with her during her nights out as teenagers, he would've become a complete social outcast. Elijah was the one that he always went to for advice, for things he didn't understand, but Rebekah was the one he'd confess things to.

Rebekah turned towards him, pulling one of her legs under the other, and looking up at her brother, "I know, Nik," and when he looked at her face, he somehow knew that she understood _exactly_ what was scaring and upsetting him. He used to joke that she was pyshcic, but ironically, she was bad at judging character-hence why she would get into bad situations that Nik would bale her out of. He was the only one she could truly read like a book. She had been studying him unconsciously since she was born, but with others, she just loved and trusted recklessly, she was too compassionate and too cold, at the same time.

"Do you…want to talk about it?"

Her voice was quiet, careful, the way she learned you had to be when confronting him. His eyes flicked down to meet hers and he blinked twice while he contemplated what to say. The thought of voicing his fears, actually saying out loud what was plaguing him, infused a terrifying cold ice through his veins. He didn't want to. He couldn't…but she was looking up at him with her damned hopeful eyes and suddenly the ice thawed, "Not really," he laughed once without humor, "But you're going to make me, aren't you?"

She didn't even try to hide the evil twinkle in her eye, "Yep."

"Well what do you want me to say? No matter how hard I fight it, I will end up like him and there won't be anything anyone can do about it."

"That's not true, Nik. I refuse to believe that. You already are ten times the man Mikael is, you'll be a hundred times better than he was as a parent."

"How are you so sure, Bekah?" Klaus snapped, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "All of you all place too much faith in my abilities to control my temper…I wish I could see this man whose existence you lot insist on."

"The fact that you _care, _Nik, says that you will be different, that you already are different!" Rebekah said, her voice raised in distress at her brother's attitude, as he looked down at the floor. The room was quiet for a few minutes. "I knew this guy a long time ago. He stayed with me and protected me through the worst, never thinking of himself. And now, he's trying to be all righteous and selfless again, but for the wrong reasons," Rebekah said, thinking back to what Matt told her earlier. "So, now, I want to be there for him. What can I do, Nik? You used to trust me enough to let me in. but now that Caroline has invaded your life you don't talk to me anymore. I just want you to know that I'm still here, Nik."

"No need to be jealous, Bekah. You'll always be my main girl," Klaus said, looking up at Rebekah with a raised eyebrow and a cheeky smile to which Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"Yeah right," she huffed. "I _used _to be, and then Caroline came along so I'm second to her. And, for the love of all that's holy, what if the baby turns out to be a girl? Because, try as you might to fight it, that little girl will have you wrapped around her little finger and I will be as good as dead to you then," she stated as-a-matter-of-factly, causing Klaus' smile to widen.

He even let out a small chuckle at her statement. "Always one for the dramatics, Bekah. You know that I'll always be here for you, little one."

"And since we are on the subject, what can I do for you?"

"I'm not the one that needs to be worried over, Bekah."

"You are so thick headed, Nik!" she exclaimed, picking up a napkin and throwing it across the counter at him.

"And you are so very threatening with your mighty napkin throwing," he smirked.

"Seriously, stop trying to turn this conversation, Nik. I'm worried about you,_ and _Caroline," she added quickly upon seeing her brother open his mouth to interrupt. "Surely you want to talk about it."

"We're having a baby and I'm convinced that no matter how hard I try I'm going to end up just like Mikael. Not much to talk about, is there?"

"No, there's a lot to talk about, you just keep deflecting and that's why I'm worried. You don't have faith in yourself and that's an extremely foreign look for you, Nik. None of us blame you for not having that faith, but you've always been able to come up with very convincing false confidence in the past. I don't see it this time."

"Caroline does and that's all that matters."

She frowned, "Well, we've gotten side-tracked, and I have something to talk to you about after this-"

"Is this a bloody investigation?"

She slapped his chest hard, "Shut up, Nik. Stop projecting."

He put a hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose to ease the oncoming headache, "I hate you sometimes, you know that?"

She rolled her eyes, "I know. But it's not me you hate-it's that I see through you. You're defense is always to hide, Nik, but…with what's coming…" they both knew what she meant, and he appreciated that she didn't say it, didn't point it out, "You won't be able to anymore, you do understand that, don't you?"

His face darkened, hiding his confusion with fake scorn, only proving his sister's point. His brows knit together as his eyes turned midnight blue, cloudy. He thought he had picked through and torn apart any detail of this that he could think of, but he was slowly realizing that he was still avoiding certain points, like how he would have to change to avoid becoming who he hated most.

"You don't know what I mean, do you? Nik, answer me or I'm leaving."

He only raised his eyebrows, implying that he didn't care if she left right now without ever finishing this conversation.

She groaned in frustration, trying not to huff like a child, "Please," she emphasized, "Stop, Nik. Just look at me, know you can trust me, and answer what I ask you. You_ have_ to face these things; it's not a choice."

He glared at her briefly, but he quickly knew she was right and he knew that every time he had shut Rebekah out before, it had ended with him unhappy. He was actually becoming tired of it all, tired of pretending to be more okay than he was, tired of frantically hiding how scared he was behind rage, and very tired of fighting off his own anger.

He fell back into the couch more and ran a hand through his hair, "Fine. You're right… is that what you wanted me to say? I have no idea what you mean and I can't…_deal _with feeling like that."

Her face softened as she took in his desperation, and she was honestly a little taken aback by the fact that he wasn't hiding it anymore. Her blue eyes turned warm as she smiled sympathetically, "All I meant was that…when this baby comes," she gave him an apologetic look for being blunt about it, "you won't be able to refuse to talk about how you feel with Caroline, you can't just deal with this the way you would any other situation that agitates you…because this isn't a _situation_, Niklaus, it's a baby. You're baby."

His eyes lit with ire as he stared over at her, trying to discern whether she was goading him or being serious, he felt a knot in chest squeeze tighter, "Do you really think I view this as just another daily happening that upset me, Rebekah?" He stood up quickly, "Because if you do, you better leave this apartment right now! I know damn well that this is baby! Why the hell would I be freaking out if I had yet to realize that?"

Any other person would be backing away or yelling right back, but she knew both of those were bad ideas, so he took a deep breath to rein in her own temper and stood up to match his stance, minus his clenched fists by his sides, "No, Niklaus, I don't, but-"

"Stop using my full name, like you're trying to make me realize how serious this is," he hissed, his stare turning into a glare.

"Oh stop acting tough, Nik!" She couldn't help but to lose her control when he was being this infuriating, "If one person in this world knows what scares you and what makes you strong, it's me, so just quit with the pretentious stuff and listen to me, understand that I'm not just your kid sister, for once in your life."

He only stood there, breathing through his nose and trying to rein himself in, glaring daggers at the young woman before him.

She decided to continue without him replying, stepping up to him and putting a hand on his chest, making her voice quiet, measuring her words, "I know you understand that you're going to be a father, Nik, and that's how I know that you're terrified."

His heart dropped into his stomach when he heard it out loud. Of course he knew that was true, he'd had his mutinous mind yell it at him repeatedly at night as he tried to fall asleep, that was usually when he'd pulled Caroline closer to him. But there was something about hearing it said, by someone else, clear as day, that made his throat tighten up, "You've always had a disarming habit of cutting through my bullshit, Bekah. I wish you'd stop it sometimes."

Normally his comment would be accompanied with a slightly condescending smirk, but he just looked away, staring at the floor.

Her gaze didn't waver, "I'm sorry, Nik, I really am. I'd let you avoid it if it wasn't important, and no I'm not condescending, I know you understand. But…can I just ask…What do you want to name the baby?"

Nik's eyebrows rose high and his jaw dropped and Rebekah would've laughed at her brother's expression if they had been in any other situation. He had been expecting her to probe him, ask him to say exactly why he was scared, ask him if he was blaming himself for what happened with his father, ask him if he loved the child, any number of things. But a name? He wasn't expecting that.

He blinked, "W-what?"

She smiled, seeing that she'd broken through like she intended, fighting to keep from smirking, "Name, Nik," she pronounced carefully, "Have you given any thought to what you wanted to name the child?"

To be honest, in the last month, he'd been thinking of almost everything except that, trying to sort out his own thoughts on the baby and figure out a way to tell Caroline, all while trying to make her feel like he was going to stay, forever. He'd been trying his hardest to listen to her so she wouldn't have to always be the strong one. He knew she'd be wanting to discuss their future for after the baby. He assumed she would bring it up in a couple months.

But he had thought about it once. He'd been in his studio one day last week, doing something he did occasionally where he would start drawing and not figure out _what_ he was drawing until halfway through. It was a good way to find out what was hiding in his subconscious. And that morning, he'd realized he'd drawn half of a baby's face. When he realized what he was doing, he'd frozen, stock still, and lost his breath. He had no idea he was this…fixated, on his child. And so for two minutes, he'd let himself dream without fear of consequences and a name had flown into his head.

_Emma Grace _

At the time, he'd been struck by how appropriate it would be-Grace- because…this baby was something he'd never dreamed he could have. He never imagined he'd be able to get past all that kept him from wanting to be a father, but he was starting to see a ghost of an image in his head. A little girl with almost white-blond, princess curls and huge blue eyes, a blush in her cheeks. The one or two times it'd popped up in his head, he'd desperately pushed it away, guarding his heart against getting hopes up. He also had the irrational fear that his miracle image would become dark, tainted, if he actually allowed himself to think about it. He thought if it had a home in his mind, his own thoughts would destroy the little girl in his head. So he preserved it by not admitting it to himself.

He realized Rebekah was still looking at him; he had to answer so he looked past her when he spoke, not wanting to see her face when he admitted it, "Emma Grace."

It turns out he didn't have to see his sister to _hear_ her reaction; she immediately broke out into laughter, bright like the kind that used to make him smile through his angry tears when they were little.

He snapped his eyes to her in irritation. He was very unsure about the whole thing and she was laughing?

"What's funny about that, sister?"

She shook her head at him like he was something endearingly confused and it made his frown deepen, "No, Nik, I wasn't laughing at _you_. It's just…that's sweet."

"What?"

She stared at him blankly, like she couldn't believe he didn't understand what she was talking about, "Seriously? You don't remember?"

He raised an eyebrow with and shook his head, "What?"

"Emma Grace," she enthused, "That's the name of the little princess we made up in my bedtime stories. You used to make up stories about her for me because we could never buy any fairytale books."

He blinked, as all the scenes they'd drawn in their minds when they were small came back to him. He suddenly smiled, not understanding why he was happy and choosing not to control it, "Oh yes, I remember her now…She was brave and beautiful. She defeated the dragon alone and rescued herself from the tower she'd been trapped in."

She nodded enthusiastically, laughing and feeling eight years old again, "I still think you were just trying to distract me until I fell asleep so you could go talk to 'Lijah."

His face became serious as he stared at her, "No, Bekah, I told you those stories for a reason. I'd forgotten it, but it's coming back to me. I wanted you to know that you could save yourself, no matter what happened. With all the shit in our life then, I wanted to give you something that made you hope."

She stared at him and held back a gasp as she saw how honest his eyes were at that moment. She'd never thought about it like that consciously, but she realized his stories had been successful.

"I…I remember…whenever I was sad, when I would hide in my bed under the covers and try to make myself not sneak out of the room to…find you. I would remember what you used to say that Princess Emma said. She would say 'I make my own luck.' You would tell me that her life was not always a fairytale, but she preferred it that way, because then her dreams seemed more beautiful because they were so far from her actual life. I never realized it affected me this much, but at times like that, I would think 'What would Emma do to get out of this?' And…I know I never did, but I wanna say 'thank you'," she realized she, uncharacteristically, had tears in her eyes as she tried to finish her little speech, "Thank you for being my big brother, Nik."

He breathed out quickly like he'd been punched as a smile ghosted over his face for a second, before he swallowed and nodded.

She sighed to clear her teary voice before she rolled her eyes, "Oh, just hug me, you idiot."

He didn't smile until his face was hidden from her view and he could feel her hair on his face, "You're welcome, Bekah."

She didn't even care that he couldn't say it while looking at her face.

After a minute, he pulled back, clearing his throat, "So…" he looked at her face in time to see her roll her eyes at him yet again, "Why did you ask that? I expected…I expected a whole inquiry actually."

"Oh that?" she chuckled with a sly grin, "I just wanted to prove something to you, and I knew this is the only way I could do it without you realizing it."

"Prove what?" He asked hesitantly.

Her smirk was huge, "That you love the baby," she saw him open his mouth with a frown on his face, "No, don't protest. A name would never have crossed your mind if you didn't care about your baby. So…please just take this to heart when I say it-you don't have to worry about who you will be as a father. The only thing you can do is accept that you love the baby, like you love all of your family, and know that you'll do right if you make all your decisions about it based off of that."

He felt like he was sleepwalking almost, he could feel the fear trying to turn into anger and he fought against lashing out. He didn't respond, but he smiled ever so slightly and Rebekah knew that she'd done her job.

"So…I know this wasn't the reason you came over here to talk. What did you want to discuss with me?"

It was strange, she could almost feel the change in dynamic when the conversation switched from something he was nervous about to something she was nervous about.

"Erm, yes," she folded her hands in her lap as she took a deep breath. She figured just blurting it out would be as good a way as any, "I know Matt texted Caroline, but I don't know if she's told you ye-"

"You want my girlfriend and I to double date with you and the Donovan boy."

Her eyes turned to slits as she glared, "His name is _Matt._ And yes, I guess you two have better communication skills than you let on. I may not like her very much, but at least she can make you listen sometimes."

His face didn't change, "Well, you already know we're coming. So why the visit?"

She looked at her brother's face, really looked at him-the contrasting dark and light in his eyes, the warring strength and fear, and currently irritation- and she realized she had no idea how he would react to her question.

So she took a deep breath and bit the bullet, "Do you hate Matt?"

He had to remind himself to keep composure as he almost reeled back a step from surprise. He frowned hard and looked in her eyes, trying to figure out what she meant by her question. And the thought of that Donovan boy with his sister hanging around in his head wasn't helping matters.

"Why would you think that? I don't even really know him."

She scoffed, "Then why do you treat him like he's not there whenever you see him?"

He laughed once, starkly, "Because most of the time, I wish he wasn't."

"How can you say you don't hate him, then say you wish he wasn't around?"

He sighed, "Rebekah," he searched for words that would make her understand his perspective, he'd never been that great at this, "Rebekah, you're my sister."

She stared at him like he'd just dribbled on himself, "And?"

His frown grew more frustrated as he fought not to scoff or glare, "And so naturally seeing you with a boy makes me want to vomit…"

She scowled at him, well, he thought it looked like a pout.

"You don't understand what I mean, do you?" He threw her own words back at her, and she did not appreciate the irony.

"Not at all, _brother_."

He ran a hand through his hair, "Bekah, I…when we were younger, it…felt like my _job _to protect you. I felt guilty if I didn't and…every time I see him standing there with you…I just want to punch him and take you home."

She blinked, and raised an eyebrow after the surprise cleared, "That's what this is about? You're just being your overprotective self?"

He looked down and pretended not to hear her.

"Oh, Nik, please," she scoffed, unintentionally cold, "There's no need for it."

"No need for it? Excuse me, Rebekah, but who saved your arse when that kid what's-his-name had you held down behind the bleachers? Me. Remember? You dialed my speed dial and luckily I was still at school! Who beat up all those idiots that called you 'Orphan Barbie'? Who carried you home and snuck you past Elijah when you got drunk for the first time at that party in the woods? I don't recall Donovan being at any of those events."

She frowned at the bad memories, but the guilt started growing in her chest until she just yelled it, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that, alright? I already told you 'thank you' once today…"

He swallowed thickly and his gaze didn't waver, "Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

She scowled and rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time today, "No, Nik, I really didn't mean to upset you, I just…I didn't understand how you felt. I don't have any younger siblings…" She trailed off as a dark look came into his eyes and she quickly decided to get off that subject, "But I think I get it and, Nik?"

He looked up at her suspiciously as she stepped in front of him, "Yes?"

Her smile was uncharacteristically warm, "I'm not replacing you. You'll always be that protector, but…I can fight for myself too, you know that?"

He tried to laugh it off, "I never thought you were _replacing_ me, Rebekah. I'm not that insecure. And I know you're going to do your own thing anyway."

"That's not what I'm trying to say. I'm not just stubborn, Nik, I'm…strong."

He smirked at her, just to see if he could infuriate her again-his attempts were successful.

"Stop smirking like the very idea is funny! I'm not just your little sister, Niklaus!"

He shook his head and rolled his eyes, "I know. I was just goading you."

She groaned and hit his shoulder, walking past him to lean against the counter, "What I was trying to ask you earlier is…will you please behave? I mean at least _try _to accept Matt. I know you'll never see him like I do, b-"

"Yes, because I'm not homosexual…"

"Shut up!"

He laughed.

"I just want you to listen, for once. Please be nice to him, Nik. Maybe you'll finally understand why he's good for me if you stop treating him like the plague."

"In this instance, what kind of plague would he be? Flesh-eating virus or-"

"You're not funny!"

After his laughter at her expense died down, he nodded seriously once and sighed, "I'll try, Rebekah, but…Never mind."

"You'll try?" Her eyes were more hopeful than she realized.

He rolled his eyes mockingly and turned around to walk away, calling as he left, "You're so demanding-I wonder how Donovan stands it. Lock the door on your way out!"

"Arse!"

"Priss!"

"You know, one of these days-"

"Just lock the damn door!"

* * *

"Did she happen to mention where we would be going on this 'double date'? Because Matt's text said nothing about it, just a time. Seriously? I mean, how am I supposed to come up with the appropriate outfit-not to mention, coordinating yours with mine- when I don't even know what type of clothing the event calls for? Should it be casual/cute or fancy? Is it a dress kind of place or can I just wear a skirt? The whole thing is-"

"Love," he held his finger up to her lips, silencing the rant on fashion, "We hardly talked about that. And your rambling is starting to worry me. Not for the first time, I'm wondering if you need psychiatric attention. Also, I'm getting a headache."

She stared at him flatly, clearly ignoring what he had said, holding up two outfits-A navy knit sweater and her pleated black skirt or her little red cocktail dress, "Choose one. Now."

He looked at her and after a second, he realized she wasn't going to give it up, "The dress. Knowing my sister, it will be some place expensive," he shrugged, "Her flare for the dramatic never fades."

She scrunched her eyebrows, picking up on the slight sadness in his voice. She realized now that her hormone-induced panic attack about wardrobe-most likely caused by the pregnancy- had given her tunnel-vision for a moment. She just now noticed how he'd been acting since she'd gotten home from work.

She took a sure step towards him where he was seated on their bed, she placed her hand on the side of his arm and looked down at him inceptively, "Did your talk with Rebekah upset you?"

For a few seconds, he couldn't mask the feelings shown in his eyes, so she could read it all-the fear, the anger, the confusing beginnings of hope- but then again she always could with him.

His eyes scorched at her for a second longer before he blinked, dispelling it all, "Why would it upset me?" he tried to downplay the uneasiness she just witnessed by reaching up a hand to caress her cheek. She had to use a substantial amount of willpower to focus on his deflection instead of the wonderfully contradicting feel of his rough-soft fingers against her skin. In a less conscious part of her brain, she knew this reaction was caused by the extra-hormones. But with the way she's always felt around Nik, the chemicals didn't have to do much to increase what was already there.

She reached up and put her hand on his, removing it gently from her face, smiling to reassure him on the off-chance that he might view her gesture as a rejection.

Thankfully, he didn't, he looked up at her, clearly not wishing to talk anymore, waiting for her to say something.

"I don't know," she started, "Did she bring up things you didn't want to think about? With the date tonight, I assume she wanted to talk about Matt…not a good subject for you, if I recall correctly," she finished her implied question with a mischievous little grin, trying to lighten his spirits.

The side of his mouth lifted impishly in a weak smirk, "He's not my favorite person on the planet, no."

She gave him a hard stare, "Don't be cute. What did she say?"

He sighed, "She asked me to behave…and something about 'giving the boy a chance'."

She lifted one eyebrow at him very seriously, "And do you plan to? Give him a chance, I mean."

He shook his head desperately, letting himself fall back against the bed as he rubbed the back of his hand against his eyes to try to relieve the pressure headache, "I told her I'd try to. But, Caroline…she's my sister and I can't just…" he trailed off, not knowing how to elaborate or if he even wanted to, "Anyway, we both know that the things I _attempt _don't always go that well."

She rolled her eyes briefly at his self-deprecating before she plopped back beside him, noticing randomly how they were on the opposite sides of where they usually sleep.

She turned her head to face him, lying on her side, her eyes staring at him, "The only things that you try that don't go well are the things you don't really _commit_ to trying. You could do it if you wanted to and you know it."

He rolled on his side to look at her, their eyes meeting, and her expression dropped when she took in the pained look in his eyes, "I can't give her over just like that."

She blinked twice, brows furrowing, for once in their relationship, she honestly couldn't decode what he was trying to say, "For once, I don't have a clue what you mean."

He laughed once, but more out of instinct to be amused by her quirks than anything else, his eyes were still hard, "I've always protected her, Caroline, but now with Matt…two people can't have the same job."

He forgets sometimes that she grew up with no siblings. Maybe that's why she held onto her friends like sisters then.

She let out a breath. She understood now. As overly-simple as it may seem, Nik was jealous. Not in the typical way though, not like a child who wants another child's toy, but in a way that probably put the fear from earlier in his eyes. Caroline knew that Rebekah and Klaus had always been extremely close growing up, no mother or father to keep them safe, so they protected each other. In a strange way, Klaus letting Rebekah be happy with a serious boyfriend was like a father giving away his daughter at the altar. Her heart ached when she yet again realized how different their dynamics were forced to be. They were only children, and they couldn't control their situation.

She paused a second to gauge his reaction, before reaching out to put her hand over his heart, "I understand now. The one thing you could always control was that your sister was safe. You don't know how to give that duty to someone else. But you _can_ share it ya know? Think about it-with the two of you, now she'll be twice as safe."

He was once again awed by how accurately she could deduce his thoughts, cut him open like that. It was, somehow, comforting and frightening at the same time. But there was one big thing that was still bothering him.

He shook his head, "Why should I trust him like that? How can you know, Caroline?"

At first, she wanted to tell him what a good guy Matt was, a true gentleman that wouldn't hurt her-even if she didn't love Rebekah, she still knew her friend and her boyfriend did. But she realized that right now, Klaus wouldn't listen to any of that. Nik would only believe about Matt what he witnesses and decides for himself.

So she simply said, "You can't. You can't always know things like that. But sometimes, you just have to accept it and hope it turns out right. And…," she added quickly and Klaus knew that this was the point in the conversation where Caroline got the final word, "I've known Matt my _entire _life, so, coming from _me_, Matt Donovan is the nicest guy ever. He knows how to take care of others," she said with a grin but still managed to give Klaus a pointed look.

And here was the point in the conversation where Klaus groaned but otherwise kept his mouth shut, his lips tight to keep the quirky, smartass remark from leaking from his throat. And as is to say 'whatever you say, sweetheart,' Klaus leaned down and kissed Caroline's cheek before opening the door for her and ushering her inside.

"Niklaus Mikaelson!" she whisper-squealed as his hand swatted her ass as she strode past him through the door.

"What?" he asked with a none too innocent smirk and laughter in his eyes.

**A/n:** _This chapter was originally supposed to be much longer, but we're splitting it into so you guys can enjoy this during the wait for us to write the double-date. We've started, but we keep getting stuck. Also, w__e will not be posting any more deleted scenes in the middle of the story because we think it disrupts the plot, but we have a lot of ideas for them and they will be written and posted either at the very end of this story, or under a new story name on one of our profiles. What way would you guys like us to do it? Remember, we're always open for ideas. _

_AND BIG SURPRISE FOR ALL LOVER'S OF THIS STORY! I GOT VATUFE TO MAKE A TRAILER FOR THIS ON YOUTUBE! She did an amazing job and in such a small amount of time, too. It's under 'Klaus and Caroline: A Father's Fear' I think. _


	11. Attempts at Acceptance

**A/n: **_Ok, a couple people last chapter were upset with Rebekah's criticism of not accepting Caroline, while telling Klaus to accept Matt. And we agre; we know she's not being fair. But she grew up with Klaus as basically her only rock, seeing another woman help him more than she can makes her feel vulnerable, so she lashes out. In later chapters, maybe this one, she will open to Caroline more. And we promise we're trying to make Klaus step up for Caroline and the baby. Don't worry, he will get very protective of them in later chapters. We promise all these characters WILL make progress. I'll take some of your suggestions into consideration. Like having Caroline maybe move in with a friend for a while, so Klaus can see just how much he needs her and run after her, the makeup would be very good for their relationship, to get everything in the open. I'm not sure. Anyway. Enjoy the date for now *Smiley* Oh and extra long chappie for you and I am ltierally posting this at school. _

_Disclaimer: Nope. No ownership. Drat._

"I still can't believe your sisters choose to eat her. Of all places she would choose Sharney's…it's like the most expensive place in the city! It's ridiculous," Caroline scoffed.

He strode in, letting the door go behind him and sped up to put a hand on her shoulder to slow her down, "That's rich coming from the girl who once spent two hundred dollars on one pair of shoes."

"Hey!" she spun around and poked his chest, "I saved up for those Jimmy Chou's for weeks! I earned it!"

He restrained his smirk, knowing it would only infuriate her more, "Yes, love."

As they sat down at their table, black cloth laid over the oak table, with candles flickering in the middle, Caroline couldn't stop tapping her fingers on the table.

Klaus' hand shot out to reflexively to catch her wrist, "Love," he breathed in her ear, "Stop pounding on the poor table," he looked up, his eyes finding the other blond couple walking through the door, the little bell above the door tinkling, "Besides, I think our guests are here."

Caroline repressed an anxious sigh. Her eyes reluctantly looked up to see her childhood best friend and ex boyfriend, smiling down at the beautiful, platinum blonde whose eyes were shining up at him. She smiled a little to herself, even if Rebekah wasn't who Caroline would've originally chosen for Matt, she could still see how blatantly happy they made each other.

"Hey Care," Matt greeted, smiling amiably at her as they made their way to their table.

"Hey Matty," she chirped, some of her nervousness going away at seeing the familiar smile and the innocent, strong face. It really wasn't a mystery why Matt had been her longest relationship in high school.

"Caroline," Rebekah tried a smile, but it was weak, and her eyes were more hesitant than cold.

Caroline nodded at her, her feelings of sympathy for the girl being slightly infected by the insincerity and coolness between the two, "Rebekah."

Matt rolled his eyes as he sat down, cutting through the thick, uncomfortable atmosphere like no one else could, "Please girls," his voice was strangely at ease and casual for the situation, "This isn't a mafia meeting or something."

Rebekah giggled, a sound Caroline had only heard once or twice before, "Stop trying to be funny, Matthew."

He grinned and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side at the booth seat. Caroline saw Rebekah's eyes narrow at Klaus and Matt seemed a bit uncomfortable for the first time since walking in. She looked to the man beside her to discern the reason for the other's reactions. She saw that at Matt's slight rough-handling of his sister, Klaus eyes had flamed and he'd glared at Matt.

She could tell this was going to be nothing like having dinner with Elijah and Katherine, Stefan and Lexi, or even Elena and Damon. Granted, spending time with Elijah and Katherine wasn't always as joyous as it had been the last time she and Klaus had had dinner with them a month ago…well, that had been joyous until Klaus had ruined it with his terrible mood when Katherine had told them she was pregnant an hour after Caroline herself had dropped the same bomb on him. But, anyways, dinner with the other Mikaelsons was always more business like while any get together with Stefan and Lexi was, well the only way to put it was rowdy. Even having dinner with Damon, Elena, and sometimes Alex, was always civil but, not without the seemingly never ceasing jibes between the two, self-acclaimed kings of quirk.

Dinner with Matt and Rebekah was just awkward.

No one was talking and they'd been there for at least five minutes. Caroline kept waiting for someone to break the silence but it seemed to be a lost cause, so, she watched everyone regard each other while childishly traced patterns on the condensation that covered her glass of water.

Klaus was leaning back comfortably in his chair, an elbow on the arm rest, swirling his glass of scotch around, while the other arm rested in his lap, as he studied Matt with narrowed eyes. His attempt to intimidate Matt was working because Caroline kept seeing her childhood friend shift uncomfortably under Klaus' scrutiny, much to Klaus' amusement, which, was evident by the ghost of his smirk. Rebekah kept glaring daggers at her brother while running her hand nervously through her hair.

The two blondes made eye contact, both begging each other for help in a rare show of camaraderie. Sighing, Caroline elbowed Klaus- not that it hindered him in the least- and made eye contact with Matt. There was just something about growing up together that gave Caroline and Matt an ability to communicate without speaking. Caroline guessed it was their version of a sibling bond.

"I'm glad that we're all here…it's nice to get to go out since we're the only not married ones," Caroline started lamely with a smile.

To her relief, Matt laughed. "Yeah, but soon enough Beks and I will be the ones left out. Elijah and Katherine married with a kid, 'Lena and Damon have their hands full with Alex, Stefan and Lexi just go married and who knows how long they'll wait to have kids."

"And then there's you two," Rebekah added with a scowl in Caroline's direction. It was Matt's turn to elbow a Mikaelson sibling, but stubbornness being both Rebekah and Klaus' middle name, his gentle nudge did nothing to diffuse Rebekah's sarcastic tone. "Soon to be parents of a bouncing bundle of joy."

"I'm happy for you guys!" Matt said ignoring Rebekah's condescending tone by smiling at Caroline, as if he was apologizing for Rebekah's behavior. Caroline returned the smile, and the apology for Klaus' behavior.

"Thanks, Matt. We're both exci-"

Caroline was interrupted by Klaus' scoff, "You know…I've never been one for idle chit chat."

"Then why don't you contribute something more exciting to the conversation, Nik?" Caroline snapped.

"Fine," he said with a raise of his eyebrows before leaning forward and turning his attention to Matt once again, his face assuming the expression Caroline mockingly called 'Serious Klaus look Number Two', "I don't have a problem cutting to the chase. What are your intentions with my sister, Donovan?"

"Nik!" Rebekah hissed, her eyes going wide and fierce, and judging from the scuffling under the table, she'd kicked her brother in the shin.

This time, Caroline repressed a groan but still slapped her hand to her forehead as she thought, 'if looks could kill'.

No one was surprised that Matt was taken aback by Klaus' sudden and inappropriate question, even if Nik had a tendency to ask the wrong thing at the wrong time.

Matt's eyebrows raised in shock, his mouth open slightly, "Well, um…that's…," he paused, thinking of how to appropriately respond-he tried to have tact- before frowning in change of reaction, "Actually, that's…kind of offensive."

"Ever so eloquent," Klaus said, smirking at Rebekah. Caroline would never be able to understand how he could smirk while giving someone a serious, pointed look at the same time.

"You don't have to be mean about it. Your question just caught him off guard, that's all," Rebekah snapped.

Matt looked to her for half a second, before shaking his head at her minutely, the serious look in her eyes meant to warn her to not defend him, "Thank you, Beks, but don't. I'll answer his question-man to man."

Matt wouldn't say it out loud, because he knew Klaus would freak if his…issues were discussed in public, but he knew that Klaus, whether he believed it or not, deserved to be given a truthful, answer, despite his inappropriate timing. Actually, Matt thought, We both need to have this conversation.

"I just meant that it offended me for you to assume that I would use your sister in any way, Klaus. You don't have to believe it, but your sister is my world. Actually," he acknowledged him, blue meeting blue as they looked each other in the eye and knowing if anyone would appreciate directness it was this man, "I think we need to have this talk between the two of us."

Klaus froze. He knew what was coming in this conversation and he was not ready to hear it.

At his silence, Matt grew irritated, "Look, I'm gonna go outside for some fresh air for a minute. If you come outside, we'll talk. If not, you don't have to hear it, just know that whatever you're worried about concerning us, you can stop."

With that, he promptly got up and walked straight out the door, leaving the other three blondes in silence.

Klaus shifted, not wanting to turn his head and see the urging look he knew would be on his love's face. The Donovan boy's ability to sense people's worries and make you aware that he knew, without directly pointing it out, sort of annoyed Klaus. It was like a slightly altered version of how Caroline could read people, except stronger and less intrusive.

A month ago, if this situation had presented itself, he would left the building alright, but he wouldn't have intended to come back. But things between him and Caroline were different now, stronger, even though both their emotional states were still rather shaky at times. He didn't want to tear that down again. Plus, there was little Emma Grace…or there would be. He mentally shook his head at his own foolishness; it was too early to discern the sex even if they wanted to. Still, that image of the fair-haired, sky-eyed, angel-faced little girl flashed through his head again. He cursed his sub-consciousness' bad timing. He didn't like showing feelings in public, let alone at all if he could help it.

Caroline squeezed his shoulder, breaking him out of the near-trance he'd been in, "Go," she whispered.

His head turned towards her, trying not to notice the hopeful look on Rebekah's face, he didn't need that expression in his head when he talked with Matt. Damn, he was admitting defeat to himself. He sighed and got up, a bit roughly, "Fine. I'll speak with the damn boy."

Despite her brother's harsh wording, Rebekah smiled, trying not to expect too much from him, but she'd never been good at reigning in her faith in him.

* * *

"I assume you had something specific you wanted to say if you dragged us away from the girls?"

Klaus let his question drop in the air as he leaned back into the wall outside of the grill. He tensed slightly at the look on the younger man's face when he turned towards him; he looked thankful for the opportunity he knew Klaus was begrudging to give him, but he also didn't look that expectant, he knew better than to think their dynamic would be rainbows and roses just because Klaus agreed to talk to him. That bothered Klaus, because it was accurate; Matt Donovan had a talent for piercing through shit.

He nodded subtly at Nik, "Thanks."

Klaus would not say thank you, "Don't mention it."

Matt heard the unspoken 'seriously, don't' at the end of that sentence, but didn't say anything. Klaus stared at Matt, intending to force him into speaking first again.

"Klaus, I'm going to be…blunt about this. I don't like word games or secrets anymore than you do. So here it is: I love Rebekah. I may be insane for it- some of my friends think I am- but I would probably jump in front of a bullet for her. I'm not saying I idealize her, at all. I know she can be bitchy, and cold, hard to understand and insecure. And no, I wouldn't do something stupid like a jump off a cliff just because she asked me to. Just because I'm in love doesn't mean I'm automatically and idiot. I can be trusted with her, I assure you. What I'm trying to say is...I know all the things about her that made others run away, and those are the biggest reasons why I will never do that to her."

Klaus had been staring at the ground the whole time Matt spoke, but now he looked up, his eyes skillfully unreadable, "Do you expect me to give you my blessing now? I never doubted that you loved her, Donovan. You don't have to make a sappy speech to convince me"

Matt's eyes narrowed, his face pinching in the-some would say adorable way- that happened when he was deciding whether to be confused or angry.

"I didn't say all of that just to convince you, Klaus. I said it because it's true and I wanted you to at least hear it, you don't have to believe it. I'm just not the type of man to accept being accused of being dishonest."

"I believe you."

Matt couldn't hide his shock at the simple statement, "What?"

Klaus rolled his eyes, his expression still dark, pushing off the wall, "I already told you twice now that I know you love my sister."

Matt frowned, "Then what's the problem?"

Klaus eyes switched to a flat glare, not angry but more refusing to show his reaction, so he opted to scoff instead, "The 'problem' is that my she's in love with you. You've probably realized this by now, Donovan, but my sister was never one to make friends easily. And a month after she met you, she called me and told me she'd 'never felt safer' than she does with you."

Matt hesitated for the first time that night, there was just something even he couldn't discern in Klaus' eyes, "I still don't see why that upsets you."

Klaus took a deep breath, knowing he'd regret revealing this, but also knowing that Caroline would be upset if he didn't resolve this here and now, "Do you have a sister, Donovan?"

Matt's eyes lost light, and he stared at the ground, "I used to."

Klaus tilted his head, understanding the implied happening and for once choosing to be polite, "So you know what being a brother means."

Matt nodded once, "Protecting them."

Klaus couldn't respond for a minute, too hit by the tone of voice; he could hear in Matt's words that he knew what it felt like to define who you are off of being there for someone else, and then having to lose it. So, maybe, just maybe, Matt would understand what he was about to say.

"Then you know why I'm not okay with her sudden falling for you and her trust in you."

Matt looked up, meeting Klaus' eyes for the first time, and he was not scared of the reaction he'd have to his next words, "I'm not her only protector, Klaus, and she knows that; she could use two. And honestly, ever since dinner the other week, all she could talk about was you," Matt said, trying desperately to lighten the situation.

Klaus wanted to be angry, but he couldn't get upset at the truth, he was just too tired of fighting everything so he only looked at the younger man before him and nodded with his lips drawn tight.

Matt smiled slightly and returned the nod, knowing that was all he'd get and he was okay with that, before he turned to walk back inside.

Klaus could see now that maybe Matt wouldn't be his replacement. He could admit to himself now that he was worried about it. But he was getting the thought that the Donovan boy might be an addition to the personal army he liked to surround his sister with. And he was okay with that.

His sister was…a complicated issue to say the least, and with Matt's subtle and unusual talent for understanding people, he couldn't deny that that quirk could come in handy in regards to Rebekah.

"…You have my acceptance…Matt…if you want it," he tried to keep his voice from sounding cold, but failed miserably from keeping the ice out of his eyes. In his defense, this was a hard conversation for anyone to have, "But, know if your ever hurt her in anyway, Donovan, you should pray to God that I never see you again."

Matt would usually be offended at the remark, but he understood and nodded before walking back inside, deliberately giving Klaus some space to think about their conversation. He knew that if he was in Klaus' shoes, he would appreciate that.

* * *

"So, how was your talk?" Caroline really hoped she didn't sound too eager or teasing, she truly was trying to be serious, but seeing her best friend walk back in without her boyfriend, while not surprising, gave her a reason to be concerned. They all knew that Klaus was notorious for his selective hearing.

Matt only smiled at Caroline as Klaus sauntered back to the table, his baby blue eyes sparking mischievously. Caroline and Rebekah looked expectantly between the two men and Klaus only raised his eyebrows as if to say 'I won't be answering.'

Caroline huffed, pulling him down by his arm to sit back beside her, "Fine, don't tell me. I can persuade it out of you later."

"Persuade?" Matt raised an eyebrow, smirking at his friend as he sat back down by his own girlfriend, "Do I want to know the innuendos behind that, Care?"

Caroline blushed, feeling the cherry color spread across her cheeks as she glared at Matt, "Matt!" she hissed, "That is none of your business…but no, you do not," she grinned, her eyes lighting up wickedly.

Rebekah made a gagging sound.

Matt shivered, "Oooh God, forget I asked."

Klaus leaned in to whisper in her ear, his hot breath caressing her skin and sending chills down her spine, "You know I will hold you to that, and fair warning; it's going to take a lot to make me talk tonight."

Caroline recognized the dual meaning of his words; it was a tease and a warning of how mixed up he would be feeling later. She appreciated it, but knew not to voice it.

She quickly turned toward him as he settled back in his chair, opting for distraction, as she placed a kiss on his lips to try to pull him out of his mood.

"What was that?"

"Just getting an early start."

The silence dawned them and made them aware of the two people across from them making faces like they'd just smelled something awful, covering their eyes, "You know we're here right?" Rebekah snapped, "I'm pretty sure seeing your brother riled up like that can scar one for life."

Klaus leaned back into his seat away from Caroline, rolling his eyes, "Like wise. If I see one PDA between you and Matt, I'm leaving."

Rebekah's face froze, her mouth popping open and her eyes going childishly wide, looking like a little girl hoping she'd got her favorite doll for Christmas, "Did you just call him by his name?"

Klaus stiffened, "Well, it's his name; I'm not a barbarian. I use names."

Rebekah and Caroline both scoffed simultaneously, bringing their eyes to each other's in surprise, then glancing away.

But Rebekah didn't comment, taking any and all the progress she could get. She did however, squeeze Matt's arm while mouthing 'thank you' to her brother. He rolled his eyes and looked away.

"So now that Rebekah and I's relationship has been discussed, what about you and Caroline?" Matt ventured, bravely looking Klaus straight in the face. Oh, right. I forget Matt's that brave sometimes. Caroline shook the thought from her head.

It was Caroline's turn to blush as she felt her eyes grow wide. "Matt," she chided, letting her jaw drop a little. She didn't need to look at Klaus' face to know that it had completely drained of all emotion.

"What, Caroline? I have much of a right to ask him that as he had to ask me."

"I'm more curious to know what you're doing with my brother," Rebekah said, looking half accusing and half unsure, joining what Caroline felt to be the next Spanish Inquisition.

"Bekah," Klaus warned simply, his eyes flashing to her face as they began to darken.

"Don't 'Bekah' me," Rebekah snapped, her own blue eyes never leaving Caroline's face, "I'm not five years old anymore, it won't work. Besides, the effort you promised me is very disappointing thus far."

"The night's still young, darling sister. Must you have so little faith in me? I've only had half of a drink, after all."

"Yeah and you don't get many more," Caroline said, glaring at Klaus.

"And why not? I've got a designated driver for six and a half more months," he laughed, purposefully looking at her and taking a lengthy sip of scotch.

"Because I said so, Nik."

Klaus only signaled the waiter for another drink and Caroline groaned.

"You never answered the question," Rebekah demanded, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger and looking down at the table for a minute.

"I'm having a baby with your brother," Caroline stated, reaching to grab the hand Klaus had resting on the table as if to prove her point. "And just to clear the air, any assumption you have as to how it got there is correct. I mean, we live together so…yeah…and I am officially closing this conversation. No more Spanish Inquisition or Twenty Questions or whatever this is," she snapped, sitting back in her chair and letting go of Klaus' hand only to cross her arms over her chest. "Even if it means you have to sit through 'idle chit chat'," she added, seeing Klaus roll his eyes in his attempt to not laugh at her final statements.

Silence fell over the table for a few more minutes.

"So…" Matt said, breaking the awkward silence once again. "Caroline…how're you feeling?" he asked.

"Good! I'm over the tired stage…sort of. I'm just trying to take it one day at a time right now."

Klaus' attention snapped to Caroline from where he had been engaged in a glaring war with Rebekah, neither sibling happy with the other's behavior. His eyebrows creased at her sweet tone as if he was confused.

"What?" Caroline asked him moodily.

"You go from upset to chipper and back again in less than ten seconds, sweetheart."

"It's better than Katherine," Rebekah said, pursing her lips. "I will give you credit for being much calmer."

"What do you mean?" Klaus asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Have you been over there lately? It's no wonder Elijah's been staying at work late. I highly doubt that he really has an 'important case' coming up seeing as he 'dropped by' our apartment the other night for an hour," Rebekah replied.

"Yeah, don't go, man. Whatever you do…it's scary. Nothing like Caroline," Matt said, speaking to Klaus and slightly shaking his head.

"Seriously? Another pregnant woman sitting right here. Don't be too hard on Katherine, guys. All these hormones raging around? Not fun. At all."

"That's for sure," Klaus said under his breath, looking meek for once.

"Hey! I heard that."

Matt laughed in response as Caroline slapped Klaus' shoulder. Even Rebekah lightened up at her chastisement. Caroline sighed and let it happen if it meant everyone was going to get along the rest of the night.

* * *

"Caroline."

Caroline stopped, pulling her coat tighter around her to combat the chilly fall air trying to get to her. Being cold while pregnant was not fun, especially when her boyfriend already claimed, pre-pregnancy, that she was a walking ice berg. She examined Rebekah's reluctant expression, tried to guess what she might want, then turned back to Nik as he was opening her car door. She never understood why he insisted on doing that.

She nodded at him, shaking her head at his silent question of if she wanted his help with the situation presenting itself, "You can sit in the car, Nik. I won't be long."

He paused, before nodding and sighing, getting into the much warmer car and giving Caroline a displeased look.

Caroline took a deep breath to steel herself for the upcoming confrontation, or she assumed that's what it would be. She turned from the car and walked over to the sidewalk Rebekah was calling from.

She stopped right in front of her, both pairs of blue eyes regarding each other distantly, "Sooo…you need something, Rebekah?"

Rebekah's expression switched from hesitant to regretful in two seconds, her eyes ice, she huffed, "See? I knew this was a stupid idea."

Caroline sighed, feeling guilty, grabbing her arm before she walked away, "No. I'm sorry. What did you want to say?"

Rebekah bit her lip as she looked at the ground, "You know…ever since I was little, I used to imagine what our lives would be like…me and my brothers as adults, I mean. In my head," she mumbled, "It was this perfect picture of each of us with a spouse and, depending on the brother, a white picket fence, maybe some kids, and," she laughed, "I even saw a dog in it. A little scruffy dog that hated everyone but Nik," she smirked, "Ironic, right? Anyway, when I started getting older, I actually let my mind wander enough to imagine a certain kind of woman for each of my brothers. Elijah would get a regal beauty, someone a little wild, to show him how to loosen up…you know, I didn't realize it until now, but Katherine fits. I may not like her all too much," the girls actually shared a laugh at that, "But she does; she's got the looks of a queen, the uncontrollable attitude, and the brown doe eyes to match Elijah's and to pass on to little control freak boys and little queen bee girls. For Kol, I pictured someone completely not enamored by him, just so he could know what it was like to not be adored, someone to take down his ego and control him. Someone with a strong will that could kick his ass for being an ass," she chuckled, starting to look up from the ground now.

Caroline felt a small smile grace her lips, surprising both of them by listening to Rebekah and actually enjoying the story instead of feeling awkward.

"You know, I heard from him a couple of weeks ago, right after that disastrous dinner party actually, and he said he'd found a girl and they were more or less dating. He didn't say her name, but I heard him yell for someone in the background, sounded like a 'B' name. Well, he says she's smart and stubborn and doesn't listen to a word he says. He said she was beautiful; dark skin and thick hair, he says," she shook her head, "My brothers when they're in love…don't realize how sappy they're getting."

"Finn, well…let's say I never imagine him with a gold digging ginger, but…what can you do?"

The girls laughed, trying to push the image of the horrible woman out of their head.

But soon they both grew serious, knowing who was coming next, "But I never put a face on Ink's girl…I always saw him as becoming amazingly successful, obviously, and he's on his way, but still always standing there whenever I wanted him to be. I was never good at sharing…."

Caroline knew this was hard for Rebekah to admit, and in a strange way, she understood. She knew what it felt like to love someone so much that you selfishly wished for them to be with you always, even if an alternative was better for them. She nodded sympathetically, and it felt alien to be in this type of conversation with the other blonde.

"But, Caroline?"

Caroline looked up from staring at the ground awkwardly, "Yeah?"

Rebekah took a breath, visibly struggling to get the words out, forming them in her mind carefully, "I can see her face now….and…it's you. I'm…not good at this. I'm sure you know that Nik and I hate sharing this kind of stuff, but I'm…sorry. For pushing you out of my mind before I gave myself a chance to actually look, I think I knew deep down that if I did look at the two of you, I'd see it. I'd see that you're strong enough to stand by his side. That you're…good and optimistic the way he isn't capable of being sometimes. When I imagine his girl when I was little, the one standing beside him in the dream, she was firm enough to know when he needs tough love, but caring enough to back down when he needed to be alone. She was…kind of like me. She understood him…and you do. I saw it tonight-you sensed when his mood was down-turning and you knew when it was best to make a joke and distract him or look at him to make him know you weren't ignoring it. It takes a smart person to do that with him…for him…Oh wow, I've never talked to you for this long since we've met," she chuckled, "You're good for him, you know. I didn't see it until now. But I…just thought you should know…I don't hate you," Rebekah was looking her in the face, and her eyes were open to her for the first time, but then it switched to threatening and slightly teasing.

Caroline randomly marveled at how she was pulling that expression off, "But if you ever decide his issues aren't worth it, I'll make you regret it. He's my brother, the only one who's truly been there for me through thick and thin, and he means more to me than anything in this world. Mark my words, Caroline," Rebekah finished; there was no malice or harshness in the way Rebekah voiced her warning but Caroline understood all the same.

"…Thanks…'Bekah. But he can't get rid of me that easily," she smirked at Rebekah and to her surprise, the youngest Mikaelson smiled back.

"Now, for the love of God, go get in your car before you catch a cold or something. Nik looks like he's about to have a coronary and it'll be my fault for as long as we all live," Rebekah said exasperatedly, still smiling as she nodded towards the black SUV. Caroline rolled her eyes as she saw Klaus watching them impatiently like a hawk.

"Night, Rebekah," Caroline said with a smile, reaching out to squeeze Rebekah's shoulder in an awkward way of thanks before heading back to the warmth of her car, throwing the driver's side door open and climbing in.

* * *

Klaus heard the shower turn on and groaned, wondering what exactly Caroline could be doing at, what he felt was, quite an early hour. He flopped onto his stomach and hid his face in the pillow, eager to get away from the sunlight that was, rather rudely, coming through his eyelids while cursing the pounding he could begin to feel in his head. He drifted back to sleep…only to be rudely awoken yet again forty minutes later.

Caroline was shrieking in the bathroom.

Klaus wanted to strangle her for making the pounding in his head worse…if that was possible. If he wasn't so hung-over, he probably would've had the presence of mind to put together that her shrieking would normally worry him. He jumped out of bed and moving as quickly as his hung-over and sleep heavy limbs would let him, yanked the bathroom door open.

"What's wrong?" he asked in alarm, his voice thick with sleep and concern, his head still pounding, worry written in every line of his face.

And then Caroline turned around to face him with the brightest smile he had seen in a while. In fact, Klaus was convinced she was glowing.

"Look!" she said excitedly, indicating her bared stomach while looking up at him under her eye lashes because she had her shirt tucked between her chin and her chest. Klaus gave her an odd look before following her eyes downward.

He studied her soft, creamy skin for a moment with creased eyebrows. "What?" he finally deadpanned, blinking heavily in an effort to clear his blurred vision as he tried to decide if Caroline was being ridiculous or if his hangover was getting the best of him.

Caroline rolled her eyes and turned to the side, still smiling. "Can you see it now?"

Klaus didn't answer right away as he scrutinized Caroline's stomach intently- and for a few minutes, his brain was so fuzzy that all he could focus on was how beautiful her skin was. Hmm, I bet she tastes better than she looks…he shook his head at the out of place thought, cursing his hung-over tendency to not filter himself. Those kind of thoughts were how that baby in there happened in the first place. But then his heavy lidded eyes caught it. There was an ever-so-slight change right in between her hips that he cocked an eyebrow at while raising a hand to run a hand through his sleep tousled curls and pull on his ear in thought; thanks to his hangover, he was still unsure if he was seeing things correctly. Apparently, his lack of response annoyed Caroline because she grabbed his hand.

"Okay, I know it's small but seriously?" she huffed, placing the palm of his hand over her belly button and running it down to rest over her hips and held it there. She knew he felt the small bump then because several different emotions crossed his face before it became blank again. Caroline sighed but smiled up at him anyways, willing to let him take this in baby steps. "See?" she asked eagerly.

"Fantastic," Klaus said with another raised eyebrow, his voice still groggy. Yes, he could see the beginning of a baby bump in the middle of her pelvis. Yes, he could feel the difference between the soft skin over her stomach and where it hardened and rose slightly, below her belly button. But, Klaus wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to do about it besides look at where her hand gently held his over where the baby was growing. Besides a vague sense of awe at the change, the tiny scrap of proof that they'd made a life, he really didn't know how she wanted him to react. He looked back up at Caroline's ecstatic face. "That's brilliant, sweetheart, really. But, I've got a splitting headache at the moment and I desperately need to go back to bed."

Caroline scoffed and dropped his hand. "You are such a mood ruiner! It's not my fault that you have no control when it comes to alcohol."

"Yes, yes. You're right, I'm wrong. You're showing. I love you, you love me. Life is great…except for the minor detail that my head is pounding," he said, following Caroline back into the bedroom as she walked past him with an amused shake of her head. Klaus caught Caroline's wrist from behind, pulling her with him when he fell dramatically back into the bed with a smirk...and instantly regretted the fast movement.

"You, Mister Mikaelson, are insufferable," Caroline said, wiggling to get away from where she was pinned against Klaus' chest.

"Tell me more about it in a few hours, sweetheart," he mumbled, pulling her closer and inhaling the scent coming off her hair before closing his eyes and trying to go back to sleep. Caroline being there always helped with that, there was just something about knowing she was safe when she was in his arms. "Caroline!" he growled when a pillow collided with his throbbing head.

He only heard her laugh mischievously in response.

* * *

"As much as I hate to admit it, I'm starting to see that Caroline is good for you. She can stand by your side."

Klaus let the statement from his sister sink in as he leaned against the cabinet in his art studio, rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand to avoid getting paint on his face. He switched the phone to his other ear, "I appreciate that, I actually do, 'Beks. But is that all you called to say? I have to finish this painting for a client by two p.m. or I get yelled in German accent again and painting with a hangover is hard enough as it is, sister."

He could hear his sister roll her eyes even over his cell, "And whose fault is that? You're still contracting for Mr. Yosendorf?"

"It's Ghosendor for the third time, but yes. He's rich, and it's against my policy to rent my talents out to individuals, but I'm willing to take out time from my gallery if it means getting more funds for said gallery."

"Translation: This German dude is fucking rich as shit."

"Your ever so eloquent use of language ever since you started seeing the Donovan is making me reconsider what I said to him last night, "

"Don't be a tease, Nik. If you're going to taunt that 'secret' conversation in front of me, stop right now because I'm not stupid enough to try to get the details of your little man to man chat from you… I'm gonna go ask Matt."

"You do that."

"Caroline's at work, right?"

"Yes, she has to get her articles in by this afternoon. Why?"

"I just remembered something and knew you might not want her to hear this conversation…yet. I know you get touchy about sharing our childhood."

He sighed, "What has suddenly dawned on you that's so important, Rebekah?"

"Do you remember when I asked you about babies when I was four?"

He actually laughed, a free sound that was getting less rare now, "Yes, 'Bekah, how could I forget you asking, 'Where do little people come from?'" he said, mimicking Rebekah's little four-year-old voice.

"What? I didn't understand how babies just appeared out of nowhere."

"They don't just appear, remember?" he asked tauntingly.

"Yes, you said, and I quote 'When Mars lines up with Venus and the weather is right, a baby pops into the world in a beautiful green meadow and the little woodland creatures follow the rainbows, pick them up, and carry them to the mum and dad.'"

He laughed, "Well, I couldn't very well tell you how they really got there, could I? Why did you bring this up, anyway?"

"Because of what you said after that when I asked you if you'd ever want a kid."

"I said no."

"And you never told me why."

"You knew why."

"But you never said it. I knew it was because you didn't want to be a father because you hated fathers. But you never said that."

"Yet you knew."

"Mmm-hmmm…but Nik…I want to ask that question again."

"What?"

She took a deep breath, "Nikkie," she started, her tone almost sounding like that little girl she used to be again, and Nik had to take the phone away from his ear for a second, trying not be mad at the nickname, "Would you ever want to have a baby?"

He blinked, his answer coming to his lips but he didn't verbalize it because, quite honestly, as much as he thought he might want to be a father, there was something else holding him back.

His silence didn't mean anything to Rebekah, though, and he could hear her smile, "I thought as much."

**A/n**_**:**__ I'm a little iffy on the ending 'cause I can't concentrate enough to remember how I originally wanted to end it right now. But do you guys want to see the deleted M scene that went on between Caroline and Klaus in order to get Klaus to open up about his man to man talk with Matt? I haven't gotten it out of my head and onto my computer yet, but I COULD…if ya wanted, you know. Oh and we couldn't fit this into the chapter, so sorry #writerproblems. But I thought I'd give it to you guys anyway. The two names we have agreed on most for the newest Mikaelson are indeed Emma Grace Lynne and Zakary August. Ya like? But I guess we need to think of a name for the little Kalijah Mikaelson that'll be arriving, too. Suggestions? P.S.-Hope we addressed any of the lingering hypocrisy issues some of you had with Rebekah's attitude towards Caroline *smilies*_

"I guess it's too early to ask but have you guys thought of any names?" Matt asked.

The table turned eerily quiet as Caroline opened and shut her mouth several times. She watched the other couple blankly, a faint smile graced Rebekah's lips as she looked at her brother, a glint of mischief in her eye, and then back to Caroline.

"It's cool if you guys haven't!" Matt said quickly. "I was just wondering. Beks and I were just talking earlier and I was curious…."

Truthfully, Caroline had thought of some names, but only one of them had a ring to it. She hadn't mentioned it to Klaus, not wanting to set him off or make him feel pressured or anything like that, but now she felt as if she had no choice.

She took one more glance at Klaus and found that the far off look on his face hadn't changed in the last couple of minutes so she gulped and turned back to Matt and Rebekah. "Actually, I was thinking about this the other day," she said nervously. "And it's super early so we don't have to worry about this for like two more months," she added quickly, throwing another worried glance at her boyfriend who was still sitting their stoically, swirling the scotch around his glass slowly. "'Cause, I mean we don't even know the sex, we could barely see the baby on the ultrasound," she paused this time to throw in a little laugh and saw, to her relief, Klaus smiled slightly, but enough to light up his dimples, as he kept staring into his glass.

Taking another deep breath, Caroline continued, talking mainly to Klaus now, "I was actually thinking...for a boy…Zakary August…," she said quietly. "With a 'k', like in yours, Rebekah's, and Kol's names."

She felt Klaus' hand slip around her own, stopping her nervous movements of twisting her napkin in her lap. He squeezed her hand gently and Caroline smiled.

She looked up to see that even Rebekah was regarding her with a full-blown smile.


	12. Thump-Thump

**A/n: **I think I may have written less than half of this chapter. Ha, I've been so drained from school that whenever I sit down to type, it's just….nothing comes out. I feel really bad, honestly. But luckily Kaitlin has been squeezing in writing time and I've been writing when inspiration strikes me…during class. This chapter was originally one super long one, but we thought we'd give you all a reward for waiting. You get this one now, and in a couple of days, we will upload the next one. We already have it written, but this may give us time to add more for you.

**Disclaimer: **We own not a thing.

A noise woke him up and Klaus rolled over in annoyance, wishing he wasn't such a light sleeper. He rolled over to settle down closer to Caroline's warmth, but he was met by cold sheets and empty space. Turning onto his back instead, he closed his eyes, ready to go back to sleep when the smell of…_bacon _crossed his senses. Klaus peered at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was nearly two in the morning. He groaned as he wiped a hand across his face to clear the sleep out of his eyes before getting out of bed and following the smell down to the kitchen.

He had to hold a hand in front of his face to block the bright lights out as he stumbled into the kitchen. "Whas goin' on?" Klaus asked, his words nearly unintelligible because of his huge yawn.

"Oh, gosh, did I wake you up? I'm sorry," Caroline said, her voice _way_ too chipper for this hour. "I couldn't sleep and then I got _really_ hungry."

"So you decided that quarter 'til two was a good time to cook _breakfast_?" he asked, sitting on a barstool.

"No," she clarified, turning to look at him. "_Your_ baby decided it wanted bacon and an omelet."

"So now it's mine…not ours?"

"Yup," she said, popping the 'p'.

"Caroline, love, since when do you eat omelets?"

"Since now," she stated, turning back to the stove. "Want one?" she asked over her shoulder.

"No! It's the middle of the night! Come back to bed, sweetheart."

"I _told _you, I'm hungry and I'm not going back to bed until I eat something!"

"You're crazy," Klaus said, running a hand through his sleep-tousled curls.

"No, I'm _pregnant_. There's a difference," she said, sticking a piece of bacon in her mouth as she put her omelet on a plate. Klaus watched her, a mixture of amusement and confusion on his face, as she held out a forkful to him. "Want a bite?"

Rolling his eyes, he opened his mouth and she placed the bite inside. Klaus had to force it down his throat. "For the love of all that's holy, what's in that?"

"Bacon, peppers, tomatoes, cheese, and peanut butter," Caroline said with a smile.

"Who puts peanut butter in an omelet?!"

"Sorry, my omelet making skills aren't up to par with yours," she giggled as Klaus got up and walked to the fridge to pull the orange juice out. He desperately needed something to wash the taste of the omelet away.

"If this is going to be a regular occurrence, sweetheart, I should at least teach you how to make a better omelet."

"Would you stop that?!" Caroline exclaimed as he put the carton to his lips. "It's so grosssss."

"As was that pitiful excuse for an omelet you just devoured," he smirked.

"Now that I've lost my appetite," Caroline muttered much to Klaus' amusement. She put her plate in the sink before replacing her omelet ingredients back where they belonged, yawning the entire time.

"Can we go back to bed now?" Klaus whined. Caroline rolled her eyes at his tone but nodded in agreement, walking past him and grabbing his hand. She led them through the dark house to their room where she collapsed into bed and seemed to be asleep before hitting the pillow. Klaus rolled his eyes but pulled her into his arms nonetheless and fell asleep himself.

At a more reasonable hour the next morning, Klaus found himself in the kitchen cooking breakfast.

"What are you doing?!" Caroline whined, stalking into the kitchen still dressed in his old Lake Forest swim sweatshirt and the yoga pants that she slept in.

"Making an omelet, not unlike the one you made at quite an ungodly hour this morning. Would you like one, sweetheart?"

"Oh my God, _no_. Can you stop? That smell is making me sick," she whined again. "Seriously, I'm so nauseous, Nik!"

Klaus whirled around, eyes wide. He would never get used to all the side effects of pregnancy.

* * *

"Stefan," Klaus said, appraising the other man with raised eyebrows and a smile as he walked up to where Klaus was leaning against his car. "Where've you been, mate? I was beginning to think your lovely wife had locked you up to rot."

Shaking his head with an amused laugh this time, Stefan clapped his friend on the shoulder, "Ah, ever the optimist, Nik. Married life isn't so bad."

"Only because you've been seeing this girl for _years _now."

"You're in no shape to criticize relationships. I'm pretty sure that you were content to condemn the entire female population a few years ago," Stefan chided playfully.

Klaus smirked and shrugged, "No hard feelings."

Stefan just rolled his eyes and pulled open the door to their favorite bar. The last time Stefan _remembered_ sitting down and having a drink with his friend was before his bachelor party five and a half months ago. Needless to say they were long overdue for one of their 'chats' as Klaus called them.

"Klaus?" Stefan asked as they walked inside, escaping the cold winter air.

"What?"

"Three o'clock," the youngest Salvatore said, nodding his head to where a _very _familiar man sat at the bar. Klaus' scrutinizing blue eyes immediately found the man and he groaned. This was not what he expected in the least.

Elijah sat at the bar, leaning heavily on the surface as if to hold himself up. Klaus had only seen his proper and moral elder brother completely and utterly wasted only a handful of times so it was very easy to see that the man was drunk out of his mind.

"For the love of God," Klaus grumbled before stalking off towards his brother.

Elijah noticed the other two men before they sat down and waved at them, causing Klaus' heart to sink even lower and Stefan snorted in a terrible attempt to hide his laughter.

"Stefan! Niklaus! It's good to see you, brother!"

"'Lijah," Klaus greeted casually, sitting down beside the brunette. "What the bloody hell brings you here?"

"I jus' needed a drink. Wha's so wrong wif that? You drink all the time, Niklaus. Even Stefan, here, drinks!" Elijah accused.

Stefan swallowed and looked to the side as Klaus clenched his jaw, knowing that his brother didn't know about Stefan's problem in college and that he was just drunk, but his words still angered him.

"Actually, Elijah…I don't drink all that much anymore," Stefan said. "All things in moderation."

Elijah's blabbering stopped and he blinked at the younger man, "Yes. I suppose thas good ting."

Klaus felt the dire need for a subject change. "See, I, unlike you dear brother, can _hold_ my liquor," he scoffed, taking Elijah's half empty glass of bourbon and downing it in one gulp.

"Niklaus, that was _mine_."

"I think you've had enough, Elijah," Stefan said from the man's other side, speaking from experience and his 'voice of reason' personality.

"And? Since when do I need my _baby brother_," Klaus and Stefan could practically hear Elijah's eyes roll, "to tell me how much I can have to drink?"

"Since you are drunk beyond belief."

"I…I am _not_," Elijah laughed. "I've only had a couple drinks, boys. Let me have my moment," he said, trying to stand up to move away from Klaus and Stefan.

Klaus cleared his throat and grabbed his brother's elbow to steady him, "For the love of God, sit down before you hurt yourself and I have to drag you back to Katherine in pieces and take the blame for it."

Elijah sat back down with a huff as Stefan and Klaus exchanged glances. The older Mikaelson stared at the wooden surface of the bar for a few moments before responding, "Does this make me a terrible husband?"

At Elijah's question, Stefan signaled the bar tender for more drinks as Klaus just gaped at his brother. Taking a drink of his liquor, Klaus exchanged another glance with Stefan.

"I'm not sure brother, me not being married and all. However, Stefan here has more expertise in that department."

"No…but. I mean…yes _he's _married. But, _you're_ goin' to be a…a _dad_ soon."

"If you're referring to the fact that coming out to your favorite pub for a drink while your wife can't partake in this activity with you then I have to say no."

"No. No! Tha's… not what I meant, Nik," Elijah groaned.

_This isn't good,_ Klaus thought as he waited for Elijah's explanation. _He _never_ calls me 'Nik'._ "What the bloody hell are you going on about? Just spit it out because I _do not_ follow you, mate!" Klaus said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

"Kat…," Elijah gulped. "Kat and I are …we're having… _twins_."

Stefan coughed as he choked on his bourbon and Klaus felt his eyes grow wide.

"Bloody hell," was all Klaus could manage.

"Twins?" Stefan asked to clarify a little more tactfully when he had finally managed to swallow his drink.

"And she keeps _calling _me an' I feel guilty for…for being here but I jusht needed a second! She can be so damn needy."

Klaus had to bite back his laughter but even in his drunk state of mind, Elijah was able to catch him off guard.

"So, Nik."

"Yes, 'Lijah?"

"You, too, Stefan. I'm… need all the help I can get."

"Sure."

"Man to man…what would you do if you were in my situation?"

For what felt like the thousandth time, Klaus exchanged a frustrated and exasperated glance with his friend.

"Umm, well…," Stefan started. "Lex and I haven't exactly had the whole family talk yet so I honestly don't know."

"Roll with the punches, 'Lijah. That's all you can do."

"That's helpful," Elijah scoffed. "Maybe I should call Rebekah. Or Caroline. She's so helpful and kind, Niklaus. You're very lucky."

"So you keep telling me," Klaus growled. "And, no, you will not being calling our sister for advice on this. You asked and you received, brother. Now, I'm really going to help you by taking you home before I get too damn wasted because of your sob story to go anywhere myself."

"Niklaussss," Elijah slurred, turning to look at his brother and wag a finger in his face, "don't be a spoil sport. I'm enjoying myself."

"Yeah, c'mon _Nik_," Stefan taunted with a smirk. Klaus narrowed his eyes at his friend.

"_Clearly_," Klaus said, looking at his brother to see Elijah looking at him with, and Klaus couldn't believe his eyes, a _puppy face_. "Fine!" he growled. "You may finish_ that_ drink but then I'm taking you the hell home."

"I knew dere wash a reason you're my favorite, Niklaus!"

Stefan just laughed.

Thirty minutes later, Klaus was walking his brother up the front steps of his house. The door swung open, revealing a very upset looking Katherine on the other side.

"Where. Were. You?!" she all but screeched as Klaus drug a very unwilling Elijah through the foyer to the living room with Katherine on their heels.

"Oh, Kat, would you _puh-lease_ shtop your yellin'? I'm a grown adult…man…and can do what I want! My brother, here, an' me were just out an' about havin' a good time! Niklaus is the _best_ brother. The very best! We should toast it, Niki."

Klaus rolled his eyes and deposited his brother down onto the couch and turned to face Katherine. Her deep, brown eyes were alight with fire when they turned to Klaus, "What the hell? How could you be so irresponsible, Klaus?! Look at how drunk he is!"

"Wait just a damn second!" Klaus snapped, throwing his hands up in the air. "I showed up at the pub to have a drink with Stefan and found_ him, _already like this mind you, sitting there blabbering on and on about you apparently having _twins_? I fail to see how this is my fault, Katherine. I brought him home."

Katherine sighed and wiped a hand over her face as she followed Klaus back into the foyer. At the mention of twins, the other man seemed to have lost all control and was babbling once again, seemingly on the verge of hysterics. "I'm sorry. It's just been a stressful day and when he wasn't returning my calls after he left here in a daze once we got home earlier, I just got worried."

Klaus just pursed his lips, drawing them into a thin line. "I've seen him this drunk only a handful of times so you'll understand how alarmed _I_ am to see him in this state, Katherine. If I hear of you being hard on him because of this…he needs a bloody moment to process everything. I understand and you damn well better to give it to him," Klaus said, studying Katherine intently before walking back to his car.

* * *

"How was your drink with Stefan?" Caroline asked from the living room when he stalked back in their home upon his return. He followed the sound of the TV into the room and collapsed on the couch dramatically, laying his head in Caroline's lap. "That good, huh?" she asked, threading her fingers through his curls with a small laugh.

"It would have been better had I not stumbled upon a _very_ drunk Elijah."

"What?!"

"Apparently he and Katherine found out they're having twins."

"Shut up! So there are now _three_ babies with Mikaelson genes coming into the world? That's a scary thought," Caroline mused, leaning her head onto the back of the couch.

"Mhmm. That's for sure, sweetheart."

Caroline chuckled in disbelief as her attention returned to the TV and they sat in silence for a few moments. Caroline's fingers continued to run through Klaus' hair as he stared at the ceiling with the voice he had come to know as the teacher on that infuriating 'Dance Moms' show Caroline loved flooding his senses.

"Caroline, stop moving."

She huffed, finished repositioning herself on the couch and crossed her arms over her chest. Taking a deep breath, Caroline's eyes returned to the TV screen, determined not to move again until the show was over. But then the baby decided he or she didn't want her to be successful and started kicking its little feet against and hitting her right in the bladder.

Her movement was involuntary. She wiggled her hips, pushing herself up against the couch, shoulders shimmying against the cushions, feet shifting, once again, in Klaus lap.

"Seriously? Why can't you do this during the day?" she whined, pulling her foot out of Klaus' grasp.

"What are you going on about?"

"_Your_ kid. It keeps moving!"

Klaus turned to look at her disgruntled expression and a regarded her with a raised eyebrow, considering how whenever something displeased her, the baby was suddenly and solely _his_. "Moving?"

"Yes, moving. Like, a _ridiculous_ amount. Every time I get comfortable. At least he or she has _something_in common with you."

"And what would that be, sweetheart?"

"The constant need to annoy the living daylights out of me."

Klaus smiled, trying to prevent the chuckle from escaping his lips but failing miserably. Caroline glared at him as he tried to regain his composure.

"I get it. You two are _collaborating_ on evil plans to annoy me. It's working and it's way, _way_ too early for any of that."

"Right. Because I have such an intimate connection with it."

She was about to respond with another snarky comeback but sat up and reached for one of Klaus' hands. He watched her curiously as she uncurled his fingers and placed his palm against her swollen stomach.

"What…?"

"Just a little experiment. Don't freak out on me," Caroline said with an eye roll. Klaus just shook his head, focusing on the funny ways Caroline was contorting her face while she thought, waiting for whatever it was she was 'experimenting'. "There! Did you feel it?!"

Klaus pursed his lips as his brows began to knit together. "No," he deadpanned.

"Oh."

Klaus didn't respond as he dejectedly moved his hand back to her knee and stared blankly at the soccer game they had been watching. What did it mean if he couldn't feel his own child's movements? Nothing good could come from it, he was sure. He had just known that no matter how hard he tried, he wouldn't be cut out for this fatherhood thing. If he couldn't feel his child's actions right against his hand…

"Hey," Caroline said, reaching out to turn his face back to hers. "That's okay. I remember reading something about how the mother can only feel the movements for a little bit. It really isn't even that big, just a little fluttering…but enough to pester me to no end. It has nothing to do with you, Nik, I promise. Give it a few more weeks, okay?"

Unable to refuse her, he smiled slightly before turning his head to kiss the palm of her hand.

"You know what? I bet it's this _stupid_ game we're watching. I swear to God if our baby turns out to be a soccer player, I'll lose it. I cannot _stand_ the thought of being a soccer mom!" she said with a shudder, reaching for the remote.

Klaus shook his head but indulged her nonetheless. He didn't miss how she switched her position once more and leaned into his chest, settling into the nook he created for her. His hand automatically slipped under her elbow and settled around her waist.

He didn't miss how his fingers hesitantly skimmed the place his hand had been moments earlier before coming to rest there.

* * *

They had done this before. It was no big deal, they should be professionals by now but Caroline was just as nervous as she had been the first time she had lain on this table in this office.

"_All right, Ms. Mikaelson, we're going to-"_

"_Forbes."_

"_Excuse me?"_

_Klaus eyed the misguided doctor. He didn't like him from the moment they'd walked in the door and he'd realized the doctor that was going to be helping Caroline through this was not a woman. Plus he had a certain air of…inexperience about him. Not to say he was very young, but he seemed to be a little less than confident in his actions. It is also possible Klaus was being his typical over-protective self and analyzing everything about the man until he gave himself a stress-induced headache._

"_My last name is Forbes," Caroline reiterated, her powder blue eyes somehow looked both innocent and indignant, "I know you assumed that I'd taken his last name, but I didn't, just so you know."_

_Klaus noticed that Caroline did not mention that they weren't married and he assumed it was because she judged that this doctor didn't need to know. One thing he respected about Caroline was that she understood why he doesn't share his life with everyone he meets. He also wasn't sure if the doctor was offended or scared of his girlfriend at that moment._

_The doctor regained his composure and looked back towards Caroline sitting on top of the blue leather doctor's chair, "Miss Forbes, I'm going to have you lean back now. You'll need to raise your shirt enough to expose your lower abdomen. "_

_Caroline settled back in the chair, letting her hair splay over the leather as she leaned back. She carefully rolled up her pink t-shirt and looked over to Klaus. His jaw was clenched, but his fists weren't so she tried to smile at him, but found herself unable to. Instead, she turned her face to the ceiling_

_She knew they were both unsettled by being here, but the fact that Klaus was here with her, that he wanted to be, was comforting. He had, for the most part, accepted that this was his child to protect, but this was one step closer to bringing this fragile person into the world and that shook him._

_Klaus opened his mouth to say something to her but some instinct told him she didn't need him to speak. So instead of saying anything to his beautiful Caroline, he simply reached out and ran the tips of his fingers over her soft, exposed belly before placing his larger hand over where she had hers folded over her ribcage. In response, Caroline was finally able to manage a small smile when her eyes flitted to his face. Klaus returned her smile and gripped her hand, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of her hand soothingly._

"_Alright, Caroline, this gel will be a bit cold." Dr. Medina's voice was polite and calming, but Klaus still irrationally hated the man. Maybe it was a man thing._

_He pulled the monitor towards him before he squirted a fair amount of blue gel onto Caroline's stomach. She shivered and let a nervous laugh escape her lips as he evenly spread out the gel over the skin of her abdomen, then proceeded to move the Doppler around the gelled area. The monitor clicked to life as a grainy gray picture moved on the screen._

"_Ah ha. No bigger than a peanut," he said after a moment of maneuvering the Doppler around. He pressed a few buttons on the keyboard as the image settled and it zoomed in a little, focusing on a couple blobs. "This is your uterus," he continued, pointing a finger at the barrier around the edges of the screen. "Do you see the arch right there?" Dr. Medina asked, pointing to a rounded blob at the top of the screen and both watching pairs of eyes simultaneously snapped to stare at the spot he pointed out. "That's the placenta. And, that," he slid his finger to the right slightly, "is your baby."_

_The doctor smiled at the couple's reaction; this was why he loved his job. Both of their faces were a mix of shock and amazement, at least Caroline's was. She had moved one of her hands to cover her mouth. It slowly slid back to Klaus' hand after a moment and a small smile began to lift the corners of her mouth, her excitement reflected in her eyes. She looked to Klaus before her eyes returned to the screen. His face had drained of all emotion but what was lacking on his facial features was clear in his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, not in the slightest. Sure he had known that Caroline was pregnant but this went beyond his wildest expectations._

"_Ok," Dr. Medina said, turning his attention to the screen and pressing a few buttons on the keyboard, "I'm going to move the sensor over where the heart should be. We may not be able to hear it but since all the vitals look good, we'll give it a shot. Don't be alarmed if we don't pick anything up, that's completely normal. In fact, we can't detect a heartbeat in some women until they're twenty weeks along"_

_There were a few seconds of swirling the sensor around before the silence of the room was suddenly broken and one single sound cured Nik of his silent astonishment and drowned him in the vibrations. His eyebrows knit together as he raised his head slightly, intense blue gaze staring hard at the screen as he tried to swallow._

Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

_That was the first time Caroline had heard Klaus gasp. To her, it sounded like he'd just had the wind knocked out of him. If he was honest with himself, that was what he felt like. _

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

"_Oh my God! Nik…that's…that's our baby," she whispered, holding his hand tightly as tears of joy pricked her eyes and her already wide grin spread further along her cheeks as she took a shaky breath._

"_I'll give you two a minute," Dr. Medina said politely, standing up and smiling at the young couple before exiting the room._

'_Oh my God…,' he thought, his thoughts echoing Caroline's words. Klaus suddenly realized that it was his job to make sure that sound never ceased as long as he lived._

_He felt like he'd simultaneously woken up and had something heavy dropped onto him. He instantly knew that he'd never get this sound out of his head. He felt his inbred instinct to run from the room tugging in his mind and pulling at his arm. He knew if he stayed in this room with Caroline, there was almost an one hundred percent chance that he would be with her, and this child, forever. The idea of this angel in his previously dark looking forever was a bright idea in his mind._

_Before her, he never thought about his future in the long run, because he couldn't even deal with himself at the present. But after her, now with this heart, this life, in his hands, his future seemed different, more defined and purposeful. He wasn't scared that he wouldn't love his child; he was now afraid that he would love it tremendously and not know how to show it. _

_That was the fear begging him to run, but the sound, the_thump-thump, thump-thump _was holding him here somehow, by Caroline's side, staring transfixed at the screen. The little person inside of Caroline was alive, would be breathing soon, looking at him and relying on him. He would be in the position Mikael was in. He knew the hell his own father had put him through; people may say he doesn't, but he knows exactly how fucked up he is. He couldn't do that to a child, to another human being. He'd rather kill himself than ruin a life. Like the little boy in his dream or the angel-curled, little girl. Emma Grace… his heart constricted painfully and he almost put a hand to his chest as the idea that he could scar that beautiful image appeared in his mind from the shadows. _

"_Nik?"_

_A voice pulled him from his fog, like a chime. He turned his head back towards her concerned face. He was mad at himself for pulling the grin off of her face._

"_Are you okay?"_

_He nodded quickly, a jerky, unsteady movement, "I just…I wasn't expecting that."_

_She pursed her lips, the gesture he knew she did when she was unsure of whether to say something, then opted to nod silently and squeeze his hand. He returned the squeeze, feeling she would need the same reassurance since this all became very, very real._

"_I wasn't either," she confessed, turning her teary eyed expression to look at him, his attention still on the picture that was on the screen, the fast paced heartbeat still drumming on and on in his ears._

_He finally turned to look at Caroline, "Why are you crying, sweetheart?"_

"_I don't know! I'm just happy."_

Klaus was sitting beside her, just like last time, watching her curiously. As soon as they had walked into the room, Caroline had moved to sit on the table. She had laid back and begun to stare at the ceiling, her hand creeping up to toy with her necklace and twist the pendant.

"Caroline?" he asked tentatively. She didn't answer him, didn't spare him so much as a glance, so he gently placed his hand over hers and pulled it away from the chain and rested their entwined fingers over her swollen abdomen. "Caroline?"

"I feel like I'm going to be sick."

"Why?"

"I don't know. This time…this time just feels different…permanent. I don't know, Nik. I'm just…I don't know why I'm so nervous. I feel silly."

Klaus took his free hand and reached out, turning her face towards him and pushed her curl behind her ear. "It's going to be fine, sweetheart."

At that moment, Dr. Medina strode into the room, "Good afternoon, Mr. Mikaelson and Miss Forbes. How are we doing today? How have you been?"

"Fine," Caroline answered after taking another deep breath and receiving a comforting squeeze from Klaus. "Everything seems to be going along well."

"Good. No unusual discomfort?" Caroline shook her head. "Bleeding?" Another shake of her blonde curls. "Any added stresses lately?"

"None."

"I'm assuming that you've been taking your prenatal vitamins? Good, good. Let's go ahead and weigh you just to get that on the chart and then we'll get down to business, sound good?" Caroline sat up and hopped off the table, following Dr. Medina to the scale that was in the corner of the room. "Hhm, you haven't really gained too much from your pre-pregnancy weight," the doctor observed as he wrote on his clipboard. "Are you maintaining your diet?"

Klaus felt his eyebrows knit together, trying to regard the doctor's question seriously but it just amused him. It was no secret that Caroline enjoyed cooking, was good at it and enjoyed sampling her recipes…or even having him test them. Ever since her omelet at two in the morning a couple months back, she had gotten a little ambitious in her experiments and, much to Klaus' concern, she had even invited Lexi, Elena, and even Rebekah, over for what she dubbed a 'recipe, cooking, and eating but most importantly eating party' last week. Needless to say, Klaus had made himself scarce.

Caroline nodded in response. "Is…is that normal?"

"It can be. We'll check the baby's vitals and measurements and then we'll figure out if there could be a potential problem but you're in good health so I'm willing to say that it just means you have a fast growing little guy or girl in there. And, speaking of, you're nearly six months along. I believe the baby may be developed enough to determine the sex today…assuming you both want to know."

Caroline and Klaus exchanged surprised glances as she settled back down, rolling her shirt, well technically it was one of Klaus' old ones, up to expose her growing belly. Caroline had decided she _hated_ maternity clothes and only wore them when absolutely necessary otherwise she donned an old t-shirt or one of Klaus' Henley's.

He knew Caroline thought that he wouldn't find her attractive when the baby grew to this size, and bigger, in her stomach, but honestly he found her a little _more_ attractive this way. He wasn't sure why, but he understood now why everyone said pregnant women glowed; she looked like a goddess. There was a part of him in her now. He was continuing to realize that with every passing day.

"You know the drill, Miss Forbes," Dr. Medina said with an amused smirk. "Here's comes the fun part." He squirted of the thick gel over her baby bump and Caroline made a face.

"Fun my ass," she snapped. "What? It takes _forever_ to come off."

Klaus laughed. He actually laughed and Caroline smiled at him, reaching for his hand again as Dr. Medina began to move the wand across Caroline's stomach, waiting for the image on the computer screen to clear as all three sets of eyes waited anxiously.

_Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump._

The heartbeat was just as Klaus remembered it from when he had first heard it. It was louder and stronger this time and that made Klaus smile but not nearly as much as Caroline. Her smile was broad and bright at the comforting sound of their baby's heartbeat.

"Wow," Caroline breathed, reaching up to cover her mouth with her hand and blinking back tears, her reaction the same as it was the first time they had seen the baby on the ultrasound. "Nik, look."

He couldn't take his eyes off the screen where the developed profile of the baby, _his_ baby, was depicted. He instinctively looped his arm with Caroline's and entwined their fingers, another small smile ghosting across his face.

Suddenly, the baby rotated and flipped onto its side so it was now, eerily, facing them, it's arms folded against its body and it's tiny hands pinned to its cheeks, fingers wiggling against its face as one curled around the bridge of its nose.

"Aww, it's sucking its thumb! I felt that," Caroline whispered to her boyfriend. "I told you it was moving around even if you couldn't feel it."

"Is he an active baby?"

Caroline's eyes widened as she turned away from Klaus to look at Doctor Medina, "He?" she asked breathlessly, completely ignoring the doctor's question. "We're having a boy?!"

"Oh yes. Sometimes, it can be a little hard to tell but he couldn't have made it more obvious," Dr. Medina said with a little laugh. "A completely healthy baby boy. His vitals are strong, he's on the smaller size of average at this point but I believe you said you were on the small side as a newborn, Miss Forbes. And all your blood work has come back negative so I don't see anything to be concerned about. He seems to be a very strong boy!"

Caroline's smile was practically splitting her face in two and a few tears escaped her bright blue eyes. "Just like his dad," she said.

Klaus ripped his eyes off the screen and looked at Caroline, finding her blue eyes already studying him. Once again, he found himself at a loss for words as his eyes left Caroline's face and went back to the screen, studying his son's face.

His _son_.

Klaus took a deep breath, trying to push the thoughts he was having out of his head. He had never imagined having a son, let alone this point in his life at all and, once again, the implications of that scared him senseless.

A boy wasn't like a girl. Somehow, he had prepared himself to be able to handle a baby girl. Somewhere in his mind, Klaus had convinced himself that being a father to a baby girl wouldn't be as challenging for him; in a way, he wouldn't have to face his fears. But now…now he wasn't so sure.

There was something that made having his own son sound enticing but, then, there was the far-off voice in the back of his head, one that you hear in a dream, eerily reminding Klaus of his own father. He momentarily shut his eyes against the harsh words Mikael had screamed at him and tried to will them away. But no matter how hard he tried, the whispers about how easily it's going to be for him to become Mikael now wouldn't go away. His eyes snapped open again and he looked back to Caroline, his free fist clenching as he fought the instinctive urge to run.

"Alright. We are all done here!" Dr. Medina said enthusiastically, shutting off the sonogram machine before grabbing a paper towel to wipe some of the excess ultrasound gel of Caroline's stomach. "Take as much time as you need. And, please, see the receptionist up front to schedule your next appointment. Don't hesitate to call if you begin to have concerns or any other issues. It's always a pleasure, Caroline. I'll see you if a few weeks. Mr. Mikaelson," he said with a smile and a nod as he walked to the door.

"Thank you, Doctor Medina!" Caroline said, using Klaus' arm to pull herself into a sitting position. "Nik?"

He blinked rapidly before turning his eyes to her face. "Yes, sweetheart?"

"We're having a boy," she repeated, still smiling as she grabbed both of his hands in hers and pressing them against her bump, their fingers entwined. "I know what you're thinking but don't go there. I love you. And so will Zakary."

Klaus gulped, pushing all his emotions down but his, more or less, happiness. Even if she was right, he didn't want to burden Caroline with this. This moment was supposed to be perfect and happy and exciting, not gloomy and ruined by his brooding.

"I love you," she repeated, cupping his cheek in one of her small hands.

"I love you, too, Caroline."

She leaned forward into his shoulder, keeping his hands over her flesh, over Zakary, hiding her ecstatic face and joyful tears in the crook of his neck. Klaus removed one of his hands, wrapping it around Caroline and rubbing her back as he held her close and pressed a gentle kiss the top of her head and smiled into her hair.


	13. Flashbacks and Well-Endowed Interruption

**A/n: **_First of all, let me just say that OKBooey31 wasn't a part of my last author's note-which I regret now, so don't be mad at her. Second, I really am sorry. I hate when author's withhold updates too and honestly I was probably gonna post it as soon as Kaitlin got me the final copy anyway, even if we didn't receive the huge influx of reviews. Third, I want to explain why I did that and say I will never do it again. Haha. See, we had the horrendously long break between updates because we're both in school so I-me not Kaitlin- saw that we didn't have many reviews and I just wanted to gage how many people were actually still reading-I shouldn't have doubted you guys, but I was so mad at us for not updating in forever that I really did think we'd lost a lot of readers. I'm very glad and grateful that we didn't. I only wanted to gage how many of you are still there because I wanted to know which story I should focus on right now because I'm so stressed and can only handle one at a time right now, what with all my classes. Kaitlin didn't have anything to do with my miscommunication/blunder thingy. Also, if you guys have a problem with something I post, can you please sign in so I can PM you and explain? It really bothered me that I couldn't explain why I was doing it and say I wasn't going to withhold updates anymore. Lol. _

_And about this chapter: I went a little Klefan crazy, writing those scenes in class, and Kaitlin was awesome for being able to string all of both of our scenes together. Also, to all of you wanting angst because things are going too smoothly for our favorite couple-don't worry. We have things coming. Mwahahahaha. Anyway, I won't make any of you wait any longer. I hope you all understand and aren't mad anymore. *Holds a cookie to bribe you into not hating me*-Pixie_

_PS-Thanks to anybody who gave me suggestions for the next chapter of Disturbia. Mwah! *kisses* _

_Oh PPS- I'm going to post the deleted scene from last chapter where Caroline 'persuades' Klaus into revealing details about his talk with Matt. But it'll be posted separately on my page because it'll probably be M when I write it. Lol. _

_**LONGEST AUTHOR'S NOTE EVER IS OVER. **_

Caroline scurried to answer her ringing cell phone. She grabbed it just before the last ring and pressed 'talk,' putting it to her ear without checking the caller ID.

"Hello?" she answered in a chipper, bubbly voice.

"Hey, Care!"

"Hey, 'Lena! Lexi and I missed you at coffee this morning. Where were you?"

"Being a mom…and a wife to an insufferable Damon. Alex brought an ear infection home from day care the other day…he's had a fever and is just plain miserable, he wouldn't even sit through 'Max and Ruby' without whimpering and tugging at his ear unless I was holding him."

"Aww! Poor baby! I hope he feels better soon!" The mental image of the blue-eyed little tike with puffy eyes made Care's heart clench. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones.

"He'll be fine…we got him on some medicine- not that he likes to take it," Elena said with an annoyed laugh. "But, Damon caught it from Alex! I told him not to be in his face and all cuddly with him but when does he ever listen? I didn't know Damon could be that cuddly until we had Alex. So now he's acting all 'poor, pitiful me' and whiny...you should hear him, Care! He sounds worse than Alex, croaking when he asks me to get him something. He hasn't moved from the couch. God, all I really want to do is smack him for being stupid…why do I still love this man?"

Caroline laughed sympathetically at her friend's exasperated form of affection for her husband, "Oh, geez. Sounds like you've got your hands full. Is there anything Nik and I can do?"

"Well, that's actually why I was calling…I don't need anything right now, so don't jump up and come rushing over, but… I was actually wondering if you and Klaus have plans in a week and half. The eighteenth to the twenty-second to be precise."

Caroline's brow creased as she reached for her purse to fish her calendar out, "I don't think so…I'm double checking right now, though. Why?"

"Well, if you have something planned, don't worry about it! Damon and I are going out of town to visit Alaric, Jenna, Jeremy and Anna for a few days and I was thinking, if you aren't busy, we could leave Alex with you and Klaus?" Caroline could hear the doubt and worry in Elena's voice, feeling guilty for putting this kind of responsibility on them when she knew how Klaus could be.

Caroline smiled brightly, "Yes, of course! That's not a problem at all, 'Lena, we'd be more than happy to watch him!" Caroline knew Nik wouldn't react well, but perhaps the baby in her was making her more optimistic and excited for this stuff. She'd never push him, but she kind of thought he might not mind.

"Really? I'm sure Stefan and Lexi wouldn't mind…or even Kat and Elijah. I just really hate to bother my sister right now. Did you know she's having twins?"

"I did know that. Apparently Nik ran into a very drunk Elijah at the bar the day they had found out. I can't believe it!"

"Me either. Care, are you sure this is okay? Is Klaus going to be okay with it?"

"He may not be too thrilled at first but it'll be fine, Elena. You have nothing to worry about. Nik's…he's really turned the corner lately. I mean, he hasn't given me any huge, sappy declarations of devotion or anything but it's the little things that matter, especially with him, you know? He watches my stupid shows with me and actually tasted my peanut butter omelet concoction. And he seems more okay with admitting how he feels to me…sometimes."

"You always did enjoy the little things more, anyways."

"Well, I wouldn't take it that far. You know better than anyone I'm a huge fan of a grand ole sappy 'I love you' and smooch!"

"Oh, Caroline. Has anyone ever told you that you watch too many sappy romances and have probably read The Notebook and Gone With the Wind waayyy more than anyone else I know?"

"Nik tells me so at least once a week. But, do I care? No way."

Elena laughed at the blunt, annoyed sentence Caroline uttered. She could practically see the putout frown.

"I'm glad he's making an effort. I was worried about you, but now you sound so happy, Caroline!" Elena exclaimed and Caroline could hear the smile on her best friend's face.

"You're such a worry wart, 'Lena," Caroline said with a giggle. "I really am proud of him. He's still a little hesitant but we're just taking it one day at a time right now."

"You know what they say…a woman becomes a mother the second she finds out she's pregnant. A man becomes a father when he first sees his baby."

"That's so true," the blonde said absently, thinking about the drastic change in Klaus ever since their ultrasound a couple days ago. "Actually, I think watching your little guy for a few days will be really good for us."

"You'll need the practice, that's for sure!"

"Especially if our little guy is anything like yours!"

The line was silent for a few moments and Caroline smiled widely, waiting for her friend's response.

"Did…did you just say what I think you said?!"

"It's a boy!" Caroline said excitedly. Sure, she had always imagined herself with a little girl at first, the thought of Klaus cradling tiny baby bundled up in a pink blanket had melted her heart. But, quite honestly, the thought of a little Zakary August toddling around on his father's heels was just as precious and made Caroline all the more excited for the arrival of their baby boy.

"Why didn't you tell me, Care?! Oh my God, that's so exciting! A little mini-Klaus…wow, that's a strange thought."

"Tell me about it, now I know how you felt about having a mini-Damon. And I was going to, but you didn't show up this morning! I told Lexi and made her swear to keep her mouth shut on pain of death but we all know she went straight home and blabbed to Stefan…those two are the secret gossips of our group. That's my theory. I should probably text Stef and tell him to keep quiet around Nik incase he wants to tell his friends on his own time. I'm not sure though…he looked a little shaken up about it."

"I'm sure he was! It's a lot to take in. Damon wouldn't speak for days after we found out about Alex. It makes everything even more real than it already is."

Caroline nodded her agreement even though Elena couldn't see her. "That's for sure," she said, pushing air between her lips with an eye roll, "But, I mean…some things Nik just can't seem to talk to anyone about, even me sometimes, and I worry-

"So sorry, Care, but could you hang on a sec? One of my invalids is paging me," Elena was silent for a moment and Caroline could barely make out the croaked voice in the background. "I'll be right there, Damon! Sorry about that."

"No, no, it's fine! I'll let you go take care of your boys. I'll double check with Nik, just incase he forgot to mention something to me but I'm sure having Alex over will be perfectly fine!"

"You're the best, Care. Seriously!"

"Tell me something I don't know, Elena," Caroline said with a laugh. "Now, I believe you have a pitiful husband waiting on you."

"Don't even get me started on how 'pitiful' he is. It's his own fault he picked up the ear infection, snotty nose, and fever anyways," Elena snapped, causing Caroline to laugh again. "I'll talk to you soon, Care! Bye!"

* * *

"I'm coming!" Caroline yelled, walking as fast as she could down the hall, her heels clicking on the wood floors, she refused to stop wearing her favorite shoes until she absolutely had to.

She flung the door open, expecting Elena or even Rebekah to be on the other side, but instead was met with the understated smirk and smiling green eyes of Stefan Salvatore.

She took one look at his expression and knew he wasn't here to see her. She rolled her eyes then pointed down the hall behind her, "He's in his studio. Has been for hours. If I try to talk to him right now, I'll just get moodier. Go."

He laughed quietly, nodding as he walked past her, "Thanks, Care," he said, patting her shoulder as he walked by.

"Yeah, yeah," Caroline smiled, watching him walk back to her boyfriend. She was always a fan of their bromance.

"Caroline says you're being difficult," his friend's voice entered the room before Klaus saw him. Klaus looked over his shoulder for a brief second, knowing from his expression that Stefan meant to talk with him. Stefan never did anything without a reason.

"If refusing is 'being difficult', then yes, I suppose I am," he said, looking back to his half-done painting, the dark colors and deep reds much more appealing to him than the inevitable discussion.

Stefan studied his friend. Klaus' back was facing him and he noticed the hand holding the brush was tensed and his other was in a fist. Stefan had noticed when he roomed with Klaus in college that he managed anger or frustration silently. That didn't mean he showed no signs of his emotion.

Stefan also had developed his own ways of dealing with his friend. It's best to be direct and indirect at the same time, meaning that you state the truth he needs to hear without accusing or coddling him. It was a fine line to walk, but after almost 6 years knowing Klaus, Stefan was practically a tight ropewalker. Not to say that Klaus' personality didn't often frustrate Stefan. Most of the time he found his friend's thick skull unbearable.

Stefan clenched his jaw slightly, knowing this conversation would be another hard battle with his friend. He nodded slightly and pulled a stool from the corner of the room up beside Klaus.

He let out a breath before he spoke, "Refuse what, Nik?"

Klaus froze for a second. He suddenly realized that he'd almost forgotten that Caroline and Bekah were not the only ones that regularly called him that. He really hadn't talked to Stefan much lately, then.

"She wants me to go shopping for the baby," he shrugged. Not looking at the other man, "I said no."

Stefan purposely kept his expression from changing, "I hate shopping too…But you go to some of her ultrasounds, don't you?"

Klaus swept the brush in a hard stroke, contemplating the blue before answering, "Yes, I do. I've been to both of them," he said, making another, albeit rougher, stroke across the canvas as his thoughts drifted to his son and the thoughts that had started to resurrect themselves deep in his mind.

His voice told Stefan that he wished the subject to be closed. Stefan didn't care; being a good friend to him didn't always mean doing what he wanted so he continued. "So what's the difference?"

The blonde man looked down to the floor, clenching his jaw and putting the brush down. Stefan's question had made him think and thinking about the ultrasounds always brought back one sound.

Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump.

"We're having a boy?"

"I love you and so does Zakary."

The fact that he was responsible for making, managing, and protecting, a life was haunting him, in equally good and bad ways.

"The heartbeat," he said quietly, hearing it in his ears as he had since the first sonogram three months ago. He didn't know why he told Stefan or if he'd even know what he meant; his mouth had formed the words before realizing someone beside himself would hear. "The fact it's a boy."

"Ah," Stefan calmly confirmed that he understood to the best of his ability. "Hearing the heartbeat shows you that you created a life, but finding out the sex and shopping for it makes it real? It makes the baby an actual person."

Klaus took a deep breath, feeling that the words were right by the burn in his chest, but he also felt his wall building again, shutting out what he should say. So, naturally, he deflected. "What man enjoys shopping?" he flocked his eyes up to give his friend a sardonic look.

"You know," Stefan said, clapping him on the back in a show of 'tough brotherly love,' "You can bullshit and charm a lot of people into believing you, but have you ever once fooled me or Caroline?"

Klaus stared at him, his eyes narrowing, not wanting to deal with what he knew was there. He truly had been trying to step up for Caroline these past few months (and he had done a damn good job of putting her first) but his barriers and angers were like a disease-he couldn't help but revert sometimes. He turned away from Stefan and walked to the window, "I don't know; I'm not inside either of your heads."

Klaus sounded irate but Stefan had never been bothered by that before. "That's bullshit, Klaus."

The blonde whipped around, his eyes turning a darker shade of blue. "Excuse me?" he ground out.

Stefan rolled his green eyes, "You do know and you are in both our heads, in some way. And do you know why that is, Nik?"

Klaus raised his eyebrows indignantly, his mouth a tense line, silently implying he was not going to answer.

Stefan clenched his jaw, repressing a frustrated groan, "God dammit, Klaus. This is why it's so damn hard to get through to you…because you refuse to admit that people care about you. The reason you are in our heads is because Caroline and I care. Not in the same way obviously," he qualified. "Look, Nik, I may not tell you everything and you may not care, but you're…my brother," he finished with a sigh, not sure if his friend was going to listen today.

"Like Damon? Well, seeing as that role is already fulfilled, I'll step down. We all know about the Salvatores and their 'unshakable' bond," he scoffed sarcastically.

"No!" Stefan started, snapping a little out of frustration. "Damon's my brother because he was born my brother; we share DNA and family stories and great hair, but that was how it always was. You are my brother because you let me know you, because even though you did your best to hide it, you were always a good friend to me. That's why you can't lie to us-because we know why you do things, Klaus. You're not avoiding shopping because you hate it; you're refusing because you still have the instinct in you to block out things you can't stand. And you can't deal with seeing the baby as a person because it makes you see yourself as the man you hate."

Klaus turned his back, his shoulders tense. "Get out," he growled. "Now."

Stefan sighed, sensing he'd gone too far and for the first time, he felt a bit sorry for his words, but not much. His words were true and Klaus needed to hear them; he would never tell anyone of his fear and Stefan didn't want it crippling something that could be so good for him.

He took a step towards his friend, "Nik," he pleaded.

Klaus' shoulders flinched, "Stefan," he gritted through his teeth, "You are right. Okay? Is a confession what you wanted? Well, wish fulfilled. But can you leave? Now."

Stefan paused, exhaled, and then nodded. He started to walk away, but before he went out the door he turned back. "You know, Lexi actually wanted to be the one to talk to you today."

Klaus turned around, shocked out of his spiral, his brows drawing together, "Why? I've only met her a handful of times."

Stefan rolled his eyes, "My wife has a strange tendency to favor unlikeable people."

"She likes me?"

Stefan laughed at his face, "She thinks she can help, being a psychological counselor and all. You know how she is; she never stops when she thinks she can help. I learned that the hard way."

"I remember," he spoke quietly, "I should've helped you."

Stefan knew what he meant and just the half apology was, he knew, difficult for Klaus.

He nodded, "I ignored it, pretended I was fine around other people so maybe I'd believe I was. You helped in the only way you knew to. I wasn't ever mad, Nik."

"That's why I like her," Klaus said suddenly.

"Hmm?"

"Lexi. I've always liked her. I probably should've told you that when you asked me to be your co-best man, alongside Damon," he sneered. "But, contrary to popular belief, I like her because she helped you then. I couldn't or didn't…I don't bloody know, but she knew what you needed."

"And Caroline knows what you need. So do me a favor and listen to her…every once in a while," he left the small art studio, a vague smile appearing on his face.

* * *

Sophomore Year of College:

Klaus was staring at this laptop screen, the glare invading his vision as he wondered why the hell his professor made him take a psychology course when he was double majoring in engineering and art communications.

He groaned as he rubbed his palm over his forehead, wishing he could lash out or distract himself, he wasn't sure which he wanted to do at the moment as long as it distracted him. He shook his head, remembering what Rebekah told him last week, "You'll never finish anything if you keep blocking out the things that don't please you." He knew she was right, but he still felt the instinct to wall himself in. Maybe that was why he hated psychology; if he couldn't understand himself, how could he analyze other people?

He heard a sudden bang outside the door, muffled voices. He steeled himself for it this time; he knew what was about to barrel through the door, or rather who. Just as he turned back to his paper, trying to ignore the raucous, his roommate stumbled through the door, grinning slovenly at a skimpy brunette walking away.

I thought he'd change his tastes after Elena…clearly not.

Klaus immediately recognized the smell of cheap alcohol invading the room from Stefan's breathing as he walked closer up behind him. He clenched his jaw as flashes of his father came through his mind; he always drank when he was angry, mostly during Nik's primary school years. Klaus hated alcohol, well the cheap stuff Stefan constantly indulged in; the only alcohol he could stand to drink was Scotch because it was the one drink his father had detested.

He heard his friend swallow unsteadily behind him, "Nik, you mished a grat party."

Klaus took a breath and shook his head, condemning the day he thought this would be a good stress-reliever for his friend. He refused to turn around from his paper. A minute later, he heard Stefan trip over something, spilling himself over onto the floor, groaning as his head hit the wall. He waited painfully for him to make another sound but there was nothing. He turned around carefully, knowing what he would see before he even saw Stefan's pallid face. His roommate was passed out cold.

He wished it still shocked him, but Nik had become amazingly desensitized to horrible things, especially those that occurred regularly, such as Stefan coming home belligerently drunk. It was a good night when Stefan could walk through the door by himself.

Klaus didn't know what to do. If it was someone he didn't care about, he'd ignore it. If it was family, he'd go against their wishes and force them to rehab. But with Stefan…he didn't know what to do, so part of him ignored it. Klaus wanted to yell at someone for some reason, just to express the anger and irritating helplessness that plagued him. But, he reminded himself, Stefan will not remember anything of this come morning. The mornings where his friend did remember where awful; Stefan would be miserably broody and guilty all day long and perhaps several more until he managed to get over it and drag himself back out to do it all over again.

Klaus sighed, feeling heavy himself, as he stood and walked over to his friend lying on the floor. He crouched down, taking Stefan's pulse and breathing rate with a hand on his wrist and a careful eye; regular. He refused to think about the day his friend's body wouldn't be able to handle anymore poisoning. So far though, the Salvatore seemed very able to endure alcohol poisoning rather regularly. He hated this; he didn't know how to help because he wasn't used to wanting to help anyone.

The worse Stefan got, the more Klaus could feel his subconscious yelling at him to fix it. For now, all he knew to do was shift him so his head wasn't against a wall.

He stared down at his desk as he dropped himself back into his seat. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and quickly sent a short, bitter message to the two people he believed had caused his roommate's spiral.

**To: Damon; Elena**

_It happened again, in case you care._

**Sent at 1:56 a.m.**

He didn't even care how petulant his message probably sounded. He threw his pone on the desk. Damon and Elena were probably getting good sleep, not even agitated that Elena's rejection kept pulling Stefan down, no matter what he tried to shake it with. Either that or they didn't even know just how bad Stefan's addiction had gotten.

Klaus didn't try to wake him up; he knew the effects were too strong for it to work. He walked quietly to the bathroom, pulling a small white jar out of the cabinet. He stopped to put the aspirin down next to Stefan's head as he walked to his bed, stripping his shirt off as he went. He paused and grabbed the old blanket off of Stefan's bed and threw over him absently before Klaus fell into bed and was instantly asleep.

The first thing Stefan felt when he woke up was a pounding in his head, like there was his own personal drummer living in his brain. His throat was painfully dry and it burned when his discomfort escaped in a groan.

He rolled over and froze when his head hit something small and the something fell over with an unbelievably loud rattling noise. He blinked, opening his eyes reluctantly. Acetemetophin. His brain read the word before he even realized it was a tiny bottle beside him.

He heaved himself up from the floor, the motion immediately setting off waves of nausea. He looked around the room and didn't see Klaus sleeping in his bed or sitting at his desk with a seemingly ever-present annoyed expression. He blinked hard, trying to remember how he got to his room or if Nik had even been here when he came in last night. Actually, he hoped he hadn't been; he knew his best friend hated alcoholics and had good reason to. Stefan didn't want to remind him of the memories he knew he already worked hard to repress. And for another thing, it was a dynamic shift; he'd always been the stable friend, never the unpredictable, offset one. It was unsettling to switch places.

But another look at the bottle of aspirin and he knew had been around when he stumbled in. 'I probably annoyed the 'bloody' hell out him last night…if I could only remember.'

Still though, he smiled a little as he popped off the cap and silently thanked Klaus for caring, in the only twisted, broody way the guy knew how to.

That's when Stefan noticed his forehead was itchy. He reached up and pulled off the blue sticky note stuck to his forehead. In Nik's slanted handwriting, it read:

'Went out. Your phone's on the table. Don't touch my computer.'

Stefan shook his head, not wanting to laugh for fear of acquiring an even worse headache.

* * *

"Caroline?" he asked tentatively when he came back down stairs to the kitchen later, a certain, almost ashamed, bashfulness in his voice.

"Yeah?"

"When did you say you wanted to go shopping? For…," he gulped and waited a few seconds before continuing as if to prepare himself, knowing he had to do this. "For the bab…Zakary?"

"Soon but, not before you're ready. I get it now. It's a lot to take in…cribs and car seats and blankets and diapers. I'm not even sure that I can handle it…especially that much blue! I still can't believe it…" she said with another, short laugh. It was nervous this time. "I'm sorry I pressured you about it. I just thought it'd be easier together 'cause I'm not exactly ready for that either."

"Life changing?"

"Uh…yeah. Just a bit," Caroline said with a fond smile as Klaus looked up at her from where he sat on a bar stool with a small smirk on his face, feeling calmer than he had in the last few weeks. Maybe the key to dealing with stress and pressure and his fears was…sharing them with someone who he understood why he acted the way he did, with Caroline.

* * *

A moan sounded through the room as Nik's lips descended on the blonde beauty's collarbone. Honestly, that was his favorite part of his Caroline; her skin there was like creamy silk, soft to the touch and oh so reactive…at least to him. He smirked as he trailed kisses to her shoulder, turning his head to the side so his slight stubble would caress her throat, "Mmmm, Nik."

He loved that. He could always tell the type of pleasure she was feeling by what she called him. If she felt the slow, leisurely, equally wonderful and dreadful warmth turning to burning in the pit of her stomach…she called him Nik. If she was feeling impatient, the passionate, hurried electric kind of pleasure, she growled 'Klaus' at him. But the earth-shattering, mind-clearing, kind of pleasure that dropped the ground from beneath her feet (metaphorically), then she would sigh his full name.

Niklaus…

She was the only one allowed to call him that anymore. Ever. For one, he had just recently gotten over the flashbacks of his father that would occur whenever someone called him that. For another thing, hearing that name never failed to remind him of Caroline breathing it like that…and that always does things to him.

Suddenly, he heard a soft growl and felt Caroline's porcelain hands pushing on his chest, "Klaus," Ah, it clicked in his head, She wants me NOW, "I want to be on top."

He smirked down at her, "…Seriously, love?"

She frowned, technically more of a pout, "Yes, for the millionth time let me have some control in this. Besides, this is uncomfortable and awkward enough seeing that I have a baby down there."

He clenched his jaw, his right fist clenching in the sheets beside Caroline's golden curls, "And I've told you a million times, Sweetheart, I can't ravish you from under you. I thought I was supposed to be pampering you, love."

She rolled her eyes, "Nik…you know you just don't want someone to have free reign over you."

He scoffed bitterly, "You have control of me anyway, Cara."

She smiled gratefully at him for the tenderness of the look in his sky eyes and the rare use of the nickname that only he ever uses. Others say 'Caro' or 'Care', but somehow he finds a way to make a simple nickname sound foreign and beautiful.

"Nik…I meant of your body."

He smirked wider, "I know. You have more control over that than you are aware."

"Oh, I'm perfectly aware," she flexed her hips, flattening her lower body to his and grinning at the groan that erupted deep in his throat, "of that."

* * *

"Caroline!"

Elena knocked at the door yet again, sighing when there was no response in her friend's apartment. She ran a hand through her dark, straight hair. She gripped the doorknob again in frustration and it turned a half an inch…they left their door unlocked?

Elena shook her head as she walked through the door, entering the wood-paneled hall that leads off to the open kitchen on the right and the longer hall of rooms farther down on the right. She knew Klaus and Caroline's room was the last on the hall, but Caroline's office was third from the end. She wasn't sure which to check first, and she didn't call out, seeing as no one responded when she yelled at the door.

She turned her head to look down the hall, before biting her lip and heading straight down the long hall.

When she reached the door at the end of the hall, she opened the door without thinking, "Caroline, I know we talked on the phone about -"

Elena stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her eyes. The moment she opened the door, she heard deep groans and breathy moans fill her hears. Klaus was laying on his back on their bed, naked from head to toe, and Caroline was leaning over him, kissing down his stomach.

She wanted to leave, to run from the room and shield her eyes, but she couldn't move. At least Caroline still had on her tank top and panties. Unlike her boyfriend, whom Elena could honestly say had never seen that much of and if she wasn't happily married, she would begrudgingly admit that her friend's man was…just really…

She shook her head as her brain restarted, "I-I-uh…I'm so sorry," she stuttered, backing out of the room in a panic.

As her friend fled from the room, Caroline's face flushed scarlet red and Klaus dropped his head against the backboard of their bed, angry at the interruption. But yes, he did Elena's accidentally checking him out.

"Oh my God….I am completely mortified."

"I'm not. She deserves to be embarrassed."

"Nik!" She gasped, slapping his chest.

He growled, feeling the frustration flood through him, "If you hadn't noticed, Sweetheart, I cannot halt my excitement for you just because someone rudely interrupts us."

Honestly. Knock Gilbert. Not that I would've let Caroline answer the door…

She gave him a shrewd look, "If you can wait five minutes while I go talk to my horrified friend, I will make it up to you when I get back."

She started to get up from the bed, picking Klaus' long shirt up from the floor, but before he stood, she felt him capture her wrist in his hand.

She turned back to him, giving him the 'I'm right, Nik' look, but she quickly smiled and rolled her eyes as he smirked wider and tried his puppy eyes on her. She knew he enjoyed trying that because of the irony._ The man I love is a twisted bastard._

"Fine. But only because I know you keep your promises, love."

* * *

"'Lena, I am so sorry, I didn't hear you at the door and-"

"No, Caroline, I-I should've knocked, but…" she shook her head, still stunned, strands of hair falling in her eyes, before she nervously tucked them behind her ear.

Caroline laughed awkwardly, trying to lighten the situation, "Well, full disclosure, I guess."

Elena paused and they both stared at each other for a second before breaking out into fits of laughter like they used to do when they were in middle school, giggling about boys.

"Oh my God, Care!" Elena gasped, breathless from laughter.

"I know! Elena…you just saw my boyfriend naked…"

They let the humorous silence set in before Elena tilted her head awkwardly and bit her lip, "Well at least I now can confidently say that being, uhm…well-endowed must run in the Mikaelson family."

Caroline automatically flashed back to the time when Elena came running to her the month after they were graduated from college, gushing that she'd found the perfect guy…except he was 6 years older. Elijah Mikaelson. Yep, 'Lena had a fling with him.

"My God, Elena, I didn't know you were so…bold," Caroline laughed, "But I cannot disagree. I am a lucky girl."

"Well…I'm straight and female; I couldn't help but um…notice."

Caroline couldn't stop laughing.


	14. Not So Cute, Cute-Meet

**A/n: **_Hey readers! Long time, no see. Or…read. Yes, that is completely me and Kaitlin's fault. We are so sorry! We'd send you all conciliatory sundae's if we could. But sadly, email has not evolved to that yet. And no, because we suck, this isn't an actual chapter. Well, flashback. So kind of. We wrote this-mostly Kaitlin- forever ago and never posted it. But you deserve something to read during the stupidly long wait. And I have some more ideas for flashbacks, maybe even a different version of the meet. Could be fun to write. Give us some suggestions if you have ideas. We love drabble requests and they're much easier to finish quickly than full chapters. Anyway, enjoy and review, we love you! See I rhymed. How cool._

**Disclaimer:** _Me do not own nothing. I also have horrible grammar for a writer._

Klaus dropped his duffel bag unceremoniously on the floor of his and Stefan's room, his sweatpants hanging loosely on his hips, the hood of his swim team jacket covering his wet head. He hated swim practice. He hated his coach. And he hated the stupid record he was trying to break that was proving to be rather difficult. _Damn it all, _he thought to himself as he sat at his desk, remembering that he had a paper, which was halfway finished, due at midnight.

Had he mentioned that he was beyond glad that it was his last semester as a swimmer for Lake Forest College? Probably not.

_Knock, knock, knock._

Klaus growled again at the obnoxious giggles that were coming from the other side of the door. Even if his roommate was seeing that girl (_Lexi? I think that's her name,_ He thought to himself), Stefan had too many female friends and Klaus couldn't keep up with them all. He decided to ignore the knocks on the door by shoving his headphones in his ears and pretending there was no one home.

"Stefan Salvatore you better open this damn door before I kick it down!" A much too bubbly voice called from the other side.

"Come on, Stef! We know you're in there, the light's on." Another, happy yet somewhat monotone feminine voice said in a singsong manner that made Klaus' head throb.

_Bloody hell,_ he thought, angrily standing up and striding to the door, He yanked it open to reveal three people, the girl in the middle holding a birthday cake.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STE-" the two girls started yelling before realizing the boy they were looking for hadn't opened the door. Klaus didn't recognize them. Well he did, from Stefan's pictures, but it took him a minute to realize that they were his friends from back home. One had blonde hair that fell to her shoulders in gentle curls, her smile was breathtaking and it lit up her entire face in a way Klaus had never seen before. The first thing he noticed about her however, was her eyes- crystal blue.

The other girl had long, pin-straight brown hair, with large doe eyes to match. Elena. He knew who she was, of course, he'd seen her with Stefan when they were together at the start of the year. He wasn't the type of person to acquaint himself with his friend's friends. But he had a particular reason for not wanting to know this one, or the man beside her for that matter. Damon, the brother, and this Elena girl were, in Klaus' mind, one of the things that fueled his friend's still shaky addition. _His new girl seems to be helping though…seeing as I can't even manage to talk to him about it…_He felt guilty for not stopping Stefan's problem when he first realized the extent of it. At least he hadn't come back to the room drunk this month at all. Klaus regarded that as a good sign.

This Elena was pretty in a 'I'm so cute' kind of way- one of the things that annoyed him about her was her ability to seem harmless, to mean well and hurt someone anyone…he couldn't stand that. But she was nowhere near the level of effervescence that defined the blonde girl. Klaus opted to look at the guy standing with them, even if he was only giving Damon a sparing glance of distate. The other man's ice- clear blue eyes unnerved Klaus slightly. But, it would be rude for him to ignore his roommate and best friend's brother. It wasn't like they hadn't met before.

"Damon," he greeted, nodding at the guy. "Sorry to disappoint you, but Stefan's not here at the moment."

"Baby brothers. Can't live with them, can't surprise them in the middle of the night with cake," Damon said with a sarcastic tone in his voice as he shook his head. "Any idea when he'll be back, Klaus?"

"No. I'd rather he not, though. Not if he's going to bring that girl he's been seeing back. I'm not interested in Stefan's love life in the slightest." _Only if she's helping him…_

"Well, would you mind if we waited around a little while? We don't get to see him very often so we thought we'd surprise him. I'm Elena, by the way," the brunette said with a nervous smile.

Klaus scowled and rolled his eyes, "I know who you are, Sweetheart." He hated the way this girl could still act so caring about Stefan after what Klaus viewed as almost ruining his life.

The girl only stared at him uncomfortably, almost like a deer caught in the headlights. He scoffed and answered her, just to get her to stop giving him that righteous offended look.

"As much as I love birthdays I'm going to have to deny that. It's been a long day, I hope you three understand as much. I'll tell Stefan you all stopped by when I see him next."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks," Elena said again, clearly wanting to leave the difficult situation.

The blonde had a different idea. She narrowed her eyes at him, the color quickly changing from cornflower blue to steel, he noted, "I've heard about you," at his surprised look, she gained confidence and kept going, "Yeah,Stefan's told me all kinds of things about you. And I'd be willing to bet he's nothing but nice to you because that's who he is-Stefan's a nice guy. But here _you_ are being a complete dick!"

"_Caroline_," Elena hissed, elbowing the blonde in the side.

"What? It's true! We haven't seen Stefan in months 'cause we haven't had the chance to get out of Virginia yet and _this guy _won't even bother letting us wait around."

Damon snickered, his eyes never leaving Klaus' face. Klaus knew good and well that he had never been, and probably wouldn't ever be, Damon Salvatore's favorite person. The feeling was reciprocated.

"Care to enlighten me on what our mutual friend Stefan has told you about me, love?" Klaus dared the blonde, Caroline, with a slight raise of his eyebrow as he drew himself to his full height in what he knew to be an intimidating stance.

"That you've had a rough life, your father hates you, and sometimes you're a complete ass because of it. Big deal. Just because you've had it tough doesn't give you the right to treat people so awfully. Don't you think everyone has something that makes them want to be jerks? Duh! But none of those people continue to throw tantrums once it's over. I don't like you," she ended her rant with a bold, flat-out glare as her eyes captivated and infuriated him all at once, " You're despicable and I do not understand why _Stefan Salvatore _befriended you. _At all_. Not so tough now, are you, _Klaus_?" Caroline said, a smile playing on her lips as she turned on her heel and strode back down the hall.

Klaus had the decency to look taken aback, much to Damon's amusement, as he watched Caroline stride down the hall with such a confidence he'd never seen before. The elder Salvatore couldn't help but letting a chuckle escape before he followed Caroline, eager to catch up with her, "Bravo, Blondie! I didn't think you had it in you!"

He wasn't sure how he felt about that. On the obvious hand, he was pissed; he wasn't comfortable having people now even the outline of his life's story. In fact, he went out of his way so almost no one did. And this girl, whom he'd just met, threw it all in his face and informed him he was an ass, like it was her job to judge him. The first thought that crossed his mind was _How dare she. _But the second thought was a flash of pressing her into the wall and kissing her skin…He shook his head to dispel the errant thoughts long enough to see her turn the corner in a huff. He almost laughed at the petulant, somehow adorable, gesture.

They disappeared down the hall, leaving Elena standing in front of the door. Klaus, completely aware that Elena was about to speak, regarded her with a cold look.

"Um…sorry about them. Caroline's really wonderful and Damon…well I'm sure you know Damon- he has his moments. But…Caroline's right. Stefan has told us you have the tendency to be a pig headed dick, and that's saying something coming from me…I'm dating Damon…," his glare intensified as he raised his eyebrows in a 'yes, I'm aware of that. You done?' kind of way, "But, well, um, do you mind giving this to Stefan? And telling him 'Happy Birthday' from us?" Klaus didn't respond so Elena tried to smile but couldn't. "Well…thanks, I guess," she said before handing Klaus the birthday cake and leaving to go find her friends.

Back behind the safety of the closed door, Klaus growled. He was going to give Stefan a piece of his mind for what that Caroline girl had said.

But, as he tried to get back to writing his essay, Klaus couldn't concentrate on anything but how Caroline had regarded him. Yes, she was beautiful, probably one of the most beautiful women Klaus had ever seen. But what caught his attention was the way the blonde girl had spoken to him. It was without fear, her emotions pure and unrelenting. Completely honest. And, even if it was brutal, honesty was something the Klaus valued.

He made a mental note to tell Stefan that he wanted Caroline to know he was grateful for her honesty the next time Stefan saw her.

_And no_, he reminded himself, _it's not because she's beautiful._


	15. The Babysitters

**A/n: **_Hello loyal, beautiful readers! Guess what I'm doing? Writing and editing when I should be studying for finals! Woo hoo! Thank you writers block for going away at the most inconvenient time ever. Anyway, long time no update! I know! And I'm mortified! Sorry! Why am I yelling? I don't know, I'm just excited to be able to write again! Anyway- comment and give us any ideas you wanna see in the story! Woo hoo and thank you wonderful Kaitlin for writing like fifty percent of this chapter! We tried to make this one longer to make up for being sucky to you. _

A resounding chime echoed through the apartment, disturbing the two blond, slumbering residents of said apartment.

"Rmph, Nik. Get the door," the sleepy woman grumbled, rolling towards her boyfriend and slinging her arm over his waist.

When after two whole minutes passed by in complete silence, Caroline peevishly cracked one eye open and lifted her head from the man's chest to look up at his face. Fast asleep. Of course he was. A herd of wild bulls stampeding through the apartment would not wake Niklaus Mikaelson, she could swear it.

She harrumphed as she dragged herself off of Nik's chest and sat up in their bed, looking down at his peacefully sleeping face, "Ok, so I know very well that you are dead asleep and cannot hear me, but I thought that maybe you might've remembered to set an alarm because my best friend told me yesterday that she was going to be here at eight to drop off her son for us to watch and oh look at that; it's 8: 14!"

She mentally noted how bitchy she sounded, but rode it off as being just too early in the morning for her natural personality to emerge; you see, she was not a morning person. At all. Neither of them were actually, which probably should've occurred to her when she was agreeing to be up before eight on a Saturday.

When he only turned over in his sleep so his back was facing her, she'd had enough. "Klaus!" she practically yelled, shaking his shoulders, "They're here!"

Klaus jolted awake, sitting up in bed two seconds after he heard his girlfriend yelling his name. And that was certainly not the way he preferred she yell his name while they were in bed. He blamed his current dirty thoughts on the fact that she'd just woken him from a particularly...pleasing dream. About her. In this bed.

_Stop it, Nik, _he scolded himself, shaking his head of the thoughts. He rubbed the back of his head as he turned toward Caroline giving him a look, "Uhm...weren't we supposed to do something today?"

At his casual question, her eyes narrowed at him until her insistent stare became a glare, "Yes...and do you remember what it is?"

Smirking, he laughed as he took in her adorable anger, the sleep clearing from his mind now. "Yes, Sweetheart. I remember. That'd be Elena and Damon at the door then, I assume?"

Caroline almost couldn't believe how easy going he was being about this situation. When she first told him about watching Alex, he'd nearly had a coronary. And now he was fine and breezy? Forgive her if she was a tad suspicious. Not that she wasn't pleased about it.

"Okay...I mean yes, yes that's probably them unless Elijah got drunk again and Kat kicked him out," she said with an amused tone.

Oops, probably not the best thing to mention this early in the morning seeing as Klaus growled instead of taking it as a joke. She scratched his back for a moment to apologize for her comment before hopping up out of the bed, suddenly very eager for the whole weekend- besides, if she kept that motion up for long, Klaus would fall back asleep at the drop of a hat. Caroline never ceased to be amused by how he loved physical contact- whether she scratched his back or massaged his scalp or traced the lines of his tattoos as they laid in bed with tangled limbs, he relished her touch despite the tough and cold exterior he constantly put on display. He was like a well-trained guard dog- all work

"Um, love?"

She turned around at the amused voice behind her to see Nik trying to hold back his laughter...and something else was in his face, there was a hungry glint in his eye...

"What?" she huffed.

He bit his lip to stifle a laugh and glanced down at the comforter over his legs before smirking and looking straight in her eyes as he stood up.

That's when she noticed what he was trying to tell her.

He was completely naked. And as much as the sight of his perfectly sculpted lean muscles over his smooth skin and magnificent-

Right, okay she was more than distracted. But if he was naked that usually meant she was...She looked down at herself and...yep. She'd almost just opened the door naked.

Klaus only laughed as he walked across her view to his dresser to pull out a pair of jeans, shaking his head at the fact that she'd actually forgotten she was still naked from their previous late night activities.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Sweetheart, because I do enjoy the view immensely, but I'd rather you not open the door completely naked," he finished zipping up his jeans as he crossed the room in front of her, walking towards his closet.

He stopped in front of her before crossing to his closet for a shirt, "This," he ran his hands up her bare sides, making her shiver and feel grateful that her belly growing to the size of a watermelon did not deter his appetite for her in the slightest, "Is for my eyes only," he finished with a wink before kissing her on the cheek and grabbing a shirt.

Caroline felt her blush spread from her neck to the tips of her cheekbones. She never used to blush this easily. Side benefit of being pregnant she guessed. Plus Nik had always had a certain effect on her...

"I wouldn't, Nik," she snapped defensively, trying to hide her embarrassment at her...oversight.

He only smirked and stood in front of her, completely dressed, save for the shoes, with an eyebrow raise, "Then why I am the only one clothed?"

She rolled her eyes and turned away from him to walk to her own dresser, scoffing. "I was talking to you and I was distracted and...shut up."

He laughed and he felt the warmth in his chest as he watched her bend over to the bottom drawer of her dresser to retrieve her clothes. He tilted his head to the side mischievously with a wicked smirk on his face.

"If you're trying to get me riled up again, love, you're doing a brilliant job."

That was when she noticed her current position. Oops. She quickly straightened up and whipped her head around to face him, "I was not. Stop it," she tried to make her voice sound threatening but all she could manage was flustered. She hated these pregnancy hormones sometimes.

He raised his hands in defense, "I'm not doing anything. I'm an innocent victim."

She raised one eyebrow to call his bullshit, "How is checking me out while I'm unsuspecting innocent?"

He gave her a look that said she was missing something, "Because it would be much easier for a five month pregnant woman to pick from the top drawer instead of bending over and you were perfectly aware that I am behind you, love."

She looked down, picking at the pretty, light blue maternity dress she'd pulled from her drawer, biting her lip to keep from smirking, "Oops."

He rolled his eyes and started walking towards the bathroom without a word.

"Where are you going? They're waiting outside!"

He looked back at her over his shoulder, smirking, "Cold shower, love. You're the one that chose get me excited again. Guess you'll have to welcome them yourselves love."

"Hey Lena!" Caroline chirped, after she had gotten herself properly dressed and ready to open the door, pulling her best friend in for a hug from the side, careful to avoid bumping her friend with her growing stomach.

Elena grinned, hugging her back, "You seem bubbly this morning, Care."

She tried to fight back a blush, her words bringing back her previous conversation with Nik, "Yeah, um...just excited to play with my superman."

The toddler in question grinned showing his missing front tooth, his icy eyes shining warm at the nickname; Caroline had taken to calling Alex 'Superman' about a year ago when he'd started watching superhero cartoons almost every morning. He loved it; she guessed it was because it made him feel like he had a special place with her.

"Auntie Barbie," he smirked, expecting her fake upset face that she always pulled that made him laugh.

She laughed and rolled her eyes, "Your dad really shouldn't have taught you that nickname." She finished by glaring at her little buddy's father. "Thanks for that Salvajerk."

Damon chuckled condescendingly, "Over five years and that's still the best you can come up with?"

She huffed, "Whatever, just come inside guys."

Elena swatted her husband on the arm as they both walked inside the apartment, "Why can't you ever just be civil to people, Damon?"

He smirked, "Because my way is always more fun and most people are normally wrong."

Caroline actually laughed, "You sound like Nik."

"Speaking of, where is our lovable hothead this morning?"

Damon was expecting an angry or possibly stinging witty comeback from the bubbly blonde, but all he was met with was a blushing pregnant woman...strange.

Caroline looked down, suddenly finding her lack of shoes fascinating, "In the shower," she said quietly.

Elena gave her a curious look, raising one eyebrow slightly, "Why are you blushing then, Caroline?"

"Um..." she suddenly started walking away down the hall in front of them, "I'll just see if he's...done now," she cursed her terrible wording, not that anyone else in the room would catch the small innuendo.

"Nik!" she called through the bathroom door, "Hurry up! They're here!"

She should've realized that he hadn't lied to her and making him speak right then was a horrible idea. It really was still all her fault.

"Coming, Caroline," he growled and she was thankful that he she was the only one who picked up on the edge in his voice; he sounded angry, but he wasn't.

Her face immediately became red when she realized two seconds later that he was purposely making a really obvious innuendo. _How does he have enough presence of mind to make that joke while...oops. Oh shit._ "Yeah, so...he'll be out in a second," she flashed them her most winning smile to distract them from her seemingly random embarrassment as she walked back in to the kitchen_._ "Nik's not one for early mornings. Where'd Damon go?" Caroline asked, walking back into the kitchen area.

"Walking around and looking at 'safety' things. I don't even know. I'm sorry, Care, I can't stop him. He just gets into this mode sometimes. This is the first time we've left Alex," Elena said, running her fingers through her son's unruly dark locks, "and he's kinda taking the overprotective dad thing a _little _too far. "

"Damon taking something too far? Couldn't imagine that," Klaus said, striding into the kitchen, his damp hair looking dark brown in the morning light, looking for all the world as if he'd only needed a shower to wake himself up. "G'morning, Elena. What you got there, mate?" Klaus asked Alex, wrapping an arm around Caroline's waist. She smiled up at him; Caroline had come to the conclusion that it wasn't that Klaus wasn't good with kids- he was great with them, she had seen that the other day when they'd helped a lost little girl in the grocery store find her parents- it was just that he didn't trust himself around them. He thought he would lose them, or let them hurt themselves, or lose his temper and scare them. She was hoping this weekend with Alex would help change that to make his transition into fatherhood a little less overwhelming. _Baby steps right?_ She thought. _Pun intended._

Alex looked up at Klaus and raised his eyebrow for a moment, looking so frighteningly like his father that Caroline had to fight back a laugh. "Pop Tart! Stawbewy," Alex said, cramming another piece into his mouth without sparing Klaus a second glance.

"Slow down there, buddy," Elena told the two-year-old as Damon came wandering back into the kitchen.

"Did we pass inspection?" Klaus asked dryly, cocking an eyebrow at the raven haired Salvatore and earning a nudge in the ribs from Caroline. _What_? He'd never liked the eldest had his reasons_. Couldn't stop to notice your little brother was binge drinking, Damon?_

"Yes but I still have a few concerns," Damon said matter-of-factly, placing his hands on the marble counter top and Elena rolled her eyes, shooting Caroline and Klaus an apologetic look. "First of all, you need to make sure your arts and crafts studio is locked. And I mean locked, not 'oh, I shut the door'. My little guy's smart enough to open a door."

Caroline rolled her eyes and slipped her hand into Klaus' jeans pocket when she felt him stiffen at Damon's comment. _He shouldn't assume Nik is going to mess up; it'll only make Nik believe it more._ But before Damon could say something else, Elena looked at her watch.

"Oh god, Damon we need to go! Our flight's at 10:40 and thanks to these two sleepyheads, we're a little behind schedule," Elena said, winking at Caroline. "Okay buddy, mommy and daddy are gonna go see Uncle Jeremy now!"

"In Cal'forna."

"In California, that's right. I love you, baby. Be a good boy for Auntie Caroline and…Uncle Nik, okay?"

"Oh-tay!" Alex exclaimed, beaming up at his mom. Elena wiped some crumbs off his cheeks before kissing him and moving so Damon could have his turn.

"Hey, buddy- be good okay? At least for Auntie Barbie, raise hell for Klau-"

"Damon!"

"Okay, okay! On second thought, little man, be good for both of them, but mainly for Auntie Barbie."

"'Cos she has baby in 'er tummy?" Alex asked, pointing to Caroline's baby bump and looking from it up to his dad, causing Caroline to smile.

"That's right. Can't stress her out too much…if she's anything like your mom I may actually feel bad for Klaus."

"Damon!"

"I appreciate the sentiment, mate," Klaus said with a stiff nod of his head, earning another elbow in the ribs from Caroline. "What?"

"Okay, I guess I've drug this out for as long as possible. I love you buddy, I'll miss you."

Alex only looked up at Damon before returning his attention to the sticky red filling on his hand.

Damon ruffled the little boy's hair, "I love you, buddy. High five before I go?"

"No. Not today. Bye-bye."

Klaus couldn't stop the laugh that escaped his lips and Damon looked up and glared. "That's what you think until it's your kid rejecting you like thathe grumbled before Elena started tugging on his arm and dragging him towards the door. Caroline pulled Alex off the counter top and followed Damon and Elena to the door, Klaus on her heels. "Oh, there's some food in his bag. Just some snacks and stuff, his cereal, some juice boxes. And the _Max and Ruby _DVD- if he has trouble going to sleep or is just grumpy, play that for him."

"I think they've got it, Damon," Elena laughed, waving at the other three. "Bye, thank you! We'll call or text when we land! Love you!"

"Okay, have fun! Everything'll be fine here, guys. Tell Jer we said 'hey'!" Caroline said, smiling and waving to her friends as the stood at the door, Klaus' hand on the small of her back.

"Bye-bye, Momma!" Alex screamed, waving enthusiastically and causing Klaus to laugh again when Damon looked back.

"Bye, little man!"

"Can you say by to daddy?" Caroline asked, peering at Alex as he toyed with her necklace.

"He be otay."

"Well then," Klaus said, smirking. Caroline shook her head and looked back over her shoulder to see him giving a slight wave towards the Gilberts as the got in their car.

"Oh!" Damon shouted back at them, his head hanging out the window as Elena began to pull out of the parking spot. "Bed time's at 8. 8:30 if you give him a bath!"

And then they were pulling out of the parking lot and headed down the road.

"Gosh, superman, I didn't realize how heavy you'd gotten!" Caroline exclaimed, turning back into the apartment and putting the two-year-old down.

Alex suddenly looked up and around, a confused look on his face.

"Where daddy go?"

"Daddy just went to the airport with mommy, silly!"

"Oh yeah," he said, smirking. "I fo'got. I gots 'eggos! 'Eggo and cars! Come see, come see, Auntie Barbie!" Alex exclaimed before taking off in search of his bags as fast as his little legs could carry him.

"Quite the riot already."

"Yeah, I need coffee. Make some for me?"

Klaus just rolled his eyes with a fond smile before heading off into the kitchen.

* * *

The next morning, after a busy day of Legos, race cars, and loading up to go eat lunch with Elijah, Katherine, and Rebekah-Nik watching his brother interact with the two-year-old very closely, hoping to pick up on some of the fatherly things he was sure skipped over him in the gene pool-they'd all been fairly worn out at bed time. Once Alex had gone down, Caroline had curled up next to him on the couch after putting one of her movies in the player. Needless to say, neither of them had made it through the whole thing- and to think, this was supposed to be the 'easier' part…

Klaus grumbled and rolled over on the coach, reaching his arm out for Caroline. His arm hit the mattress and he reluctantly opened his eyes to look over at her spot only to find it was, indeed, empty. He groaned in annoyance and ran a hand through his sleep-mussed curls as he sat up. "Caroline?" he called out.

He raised his eyebrows as he waited for an answer. Nothing. He got out of bed, throwing the covers off as he started to get worried. One day. One day and he had already lost his girlfriend and the kid. He wasn't cut out for this, he kept repeating in his mind as he went down the hall in his pajama pants.

He paused, turning his head, when he heard sounds coming from his art studio. Quietly he walked over to the open door and peaked into the room. He stood there in something akin to stunned silence at what he found.

After a moment, he leaned against the doorway and watched Caroline smiling sweetly as she guided Alex's little green paint covered fingers across the paper she'd clipped onto one of his easels. He _should_ be upset. They were wasting expensive paint. But he noticed the paper they were using was cheap printer paper and he could only smirk to himself. Caroline must have switched it out so not to waste his supplies. A smile slowly started to form on his face without his noticing as the toddler laughed, an unhindered happy sound, up at his girlfriend and tapped her nose with his fingers. He suppressed a laugh at the mock indignant look she gave him; it didn't work with a green nose.

He didn't want to examine why he wasn't upset, why he was the upset. He had the strangest sentiment run through his head that he could watch her do this all day and not get bored. Caroline was a natural mother, or would be. She cared more than she should even, for anyone around her. And she remembered things: birthdays, anniversaries, best friends' favorite colors and gift preferences, the whole lot of it. She was responsible in that way, smart.

But _him_? Klaus scoffed.

Would he be able to match how magnificent she would be with a wide smile on her face when she played with _their _child? He half doubted if he would have to match it; she could be wonderful enough for the two of them. But no, he _had_ to. He had to pay her back as well somehow. He couldn't let her carry all the weight of this. He was never the type of man to let other people carry his burdens…_Burden…is that what I really think fatherhood is going to be? _He couldn't even dwell on the chilling thought for too long. He just knew he had to try. For her. Caroline had given him so much happiness, more than he'd had combined in all the years he'd had before he knew her. She deserves more than him, but he was determined to give her as much back as he possibly could because she chose him.

When he tilted his head away from the too-bright shine of the sun coming through the window, Alex's face was obscured by the glare, and for half a second, Klaus could see a different face, playing with and learning from Caroline. It was a little boy who he assumed was their Zakary. He'd imagined him more like his mother but here, surrounded by his art he could see some of his passion shining through in the toddler who had dirty blonde curls adorning his head but the scrunch Caroline's face took on when she was concentrating on something. But he blinked. And the toddler was Alex again, the spawn of the bane of his existence and his girlfriend's best friend. Maybe spawn is a rude word; Alex wasn't all that bad, even if he was undoubtedly Damon's son.

"What are you two making there?" He smirked as he brought both sets of blue eyes to him.

"Din-saur," Alex chirped without looking back at Klaus. He pointed out the horns and tail he thought were well defined on the dinosaur. Nik only saw a green blob with legs but he smiled anyway.

"Very good, not bad lines, maybe work on the shading?"

Caroline giggled when she rolled her eyes and the sound lifted his smile higher, "Shut up, art snob. We can't all be Picasso's."

"Well, the kid has only started. Alex might very well turn into a prodigy. But I'm afraid it might be too late for you, love," he teased.

Caroline scrunched her face up at him and flung some paint at him off a brush.

"Auntie Barbie! Paint fight?" Alex looked between them with a wide, excited grin and dangerously hopeful eyes.

"No," Klaus' eyes widened. "No! Don't even think about it!"

Caroline grinned with a playful look of vengeance in her eyes that he was a bit scared of. Not that he'd ever admit it.

"Fire!" Caroline laugh-shouted.

Nik ducked as Alex came at him armed with a dish of green paint in his hands.

"Alex n-"

Before he could finish his command, Alex had flicked paint all over Nik's face. Nik growled and grabbed the tyke, lifting him up as the paint fell and splattered all over both of them, "Oh, now you've done it, mate!"

Caroline laughed as Nik spun Alex around.

* * *

"Auntie Barbie!" Alex called out.

Caroline grumbled in bed at the sound and moved her arm to shift and hit Klaus' shoulder. "Nik," she whined, "Nik, get up. Alex wants something."

He groaned indistinctly and winked one angry eye open at her, "What, Caroline?"

"Alex," she yawned, moving to go back to sleep, "Go check on him."

"Are you ser-"

Before he could question her, Caroline had fallen quickly back to sleep. Of course.

He pulled himself out of bed and down the hall, grumbling the whole way as he wandered into the guest room, wiping a hand over his face and mumbling, "What is it?"

Alex was sitting up and blinked a couple times at the figure in the door. "I ask for Auntie, Unc' Nik," he whimpered, hugging his blanket tighter to his chest.

He rolled his eyes irritably, "I know. I heard. But Auntie deemed it my job to make sure you hadn't snuck out of bed and stuck your finger in a light socket and fell back asleep."

The toddler frowned in confusion at the sarcasm as he looked at Klaus in the doorway with sadness he was trying to hide, "Momma and Daddy not here."

"Oh," Klaus dead-panned, realizing what the lonely look in his eyes was about, "You miss your parents."

He walked to the bed and sat beside where the child was sleeping, situating himself a bit awkwardly. The bed was big enough for two Alex's, but he wasn't used to sharing space with a kid.

Alex nodded, "They read me sto'ies. An' Momma sings…where dey go?"

Klaus couldn't pretend the lost tone of the little boy's voice didn't throw him, make something in his chest ache. He didn't have the slightest idea how to comfort. With Caroline he just kind of held her, not that he minded all that much but with a kid?

"They had to go see your Uncle Jeremy, remember? But they'll…be back, you know?" He said. It was the first thing that came to his mind and he peered down at Alex, waiting to see if it made any difference.

"Yeah," Alex bit his lip hesitantly, "When mommy an' daddy come home?"

Klaus licked his lip nervously, "In two days."

"Oh," the boy pouted when the time period seemed immeasurably long to him, creasing his brows in thought. "Two…they not be here."

"No," he started unsurely, "But they _will _be back for you, sooner than you know it."

"Weally?"

"Of course, Alex. Parents are supposed to come back. It's…in the job description. Good parents will love you and see you through everything, and that includes good nights…they won't stay gone long. You have _good _parents," he said, grimacing at how awkward and uncomfortable the words sounded leaving his mouth. He poked the boy in the stomach to tickle him a little and was rewarded with a smile

"I do?"

Klaus nodded. "Better than most. If that's all settled…g'night, mate."

Alex nodded. "Mommy 'n daddy good. Nigh-night, Unc' Nik."

Klaus smiled fondly at the mispronunciation as he stood, tucking the blankets around the two-year-old more snuggly and leaving the room, cracking the door as he made his way back to his bed and Caroline.

* * *

Caroline crept as quietly as she could through the kitchen. It was late, far later than she ever intended to come back home. She had gotten into her office this morning full intending to leave in an hour; you know, just check up on things before going home to rescue her boyfriend from toddler time. But one thing had led to another and one hour turned into four. Then it really snowballed when she had stopped by to see her cheerleaders at their Homecoming game on the way home and had ended up staying the whole game talking to the girls. After all, it _had_ been a while since she stopped by. She always meant to call and tell him she was going to be late…

She snuck into the living room where she could hear the music from Alex's 'Max and Ruby' DVD coming from the TV. She stopped in the doorway and smiled at the sight before her; Alex was curled up on Klaus' chest, brown curls in his eyes while he clutched his blanket and his juice cup (inevitably orange jucie, knowing Nik) his little mouth hanging open in sleep. Klaus' eyes were shut, too, and he had a hand on Alex's back and Caroline couldn't resist pulling her phone out to take a picture.

"It's about bloody time."

_Oh, shutter must have woke him up. Gotta remember to change that to silent._ She looked up to see Klaus' blue eyes watching her, rimmed red with worry. "I'm sorry," she whispered so as not to wake up Alex. "I tried to call you but every time I had a free second this morning, something else came up and I just got caught up. And then, I just _had _to sto-"

She half expected her rant to be interrupted, but she didn't expect the cold, tired tone of his voice, "I don't want to hear it, Caroline," he said, maneuvering himself into a sitting position while trying not to wake the two-year-old and stood up, disappearing to put Alex to bed.

Caroline rolled her eyes at his dramatics and moodiness, unaware of how deep that mood really went, before wandering back into the kitchen to get something to eat. She hadn't eaten since lunch and that was only a Caesar salad. She was pregnant for god's sake, she needed more nutrients. Klaus came back and sat on the bar, playing with his hands in a nervous habit she'd picked up on after the first month of dating; he wrings his hands when he's brooding.

"What's wrong?" she narrowed her eyes slightly, realizing he wasn't just the normal kind of annoyed from watching a toddler all day.

Klaus didn't answer and Caroline almost rolled her eyes again. Yes, she knew he was upset but he was still irritating as hell sometimes.

"Seriously, Nik? I'm sorry. I never meant to leave you alone all day," she said a bit too flippantly, hoping if he got pissed, he would just spit out what was wrong so she could help if it was bad or ignore his anger if it was stupid.

He still refused to respond, pursing his lips and continuing to stare at the granite counter top.

"Can I get you anything?" She tried for sass this time.

Once again, Klaus remained silent and Caroline turned back to the refrigerator, "I don't even understand what your deal is right now. I said I'm sorry, I've asked you what's wrong and you keep ignoring me."

"I'm thinking," he snapped flatly.

"About what?"

"Today."

Caroline groaned, "And what was so awful about today? You did fine! Better than fine, Nik! He's asleep and happy. It's not like you killed him."

"Stay out of it, Caroline," he growled, those exact words setting off a trigger in him. "I'm just trying to think."

"Okay, think! I'm just trying to help."

"You can't help me!"

He was so sick of that; her always having to fix everything, even him. _Well guess what I'm not one of your little projects, sweetheart._

"Well, maybe, your panties wouldn't be in a twist if you just spoke your mind every once in a while, sheesh."

"My _knickers _aren't in a twist," he hissed, seriously close to losing control with her. That had almost never happened. And both times it had in the years they'd been together, it ended with Caroline hating herself for doubting if he was worth it. But she came back both times, because she knew he was, however hard loving him may be.

"And I'm the queen of England," Caroline scoffed.

"Caroline…," he warned.

"Nik. I'm sorry! I just don't understand why you're being like this. What is _wrong_?"

"What's wrong?!" His eyes widened in disbelieving anger at her casual attitude, "I just spent the day terrified that I was going to lose him or let him get his finger stuck in an electrical socket or that he'd turn the stove on and catch the house on fire or-

"Why?" she almost laughed at his paranoia, not knowing where it was coming from, "I told you to call me if _anything_ happened, Nik. You aren't in this alone! You won't be."

That was it. That was what he'd worried over all day- that he wouldn't be able to do it. That whenever Caroline left, like she inevitably would, he thought, he wouldn't be able to care for this kid by himself. He could still hardly accept the idea that he was going to be a father.

"Oh, I think you'll find I am."

He was backtracking. She couldn't believe this. These months she spent trying to get him to listen and see and he was regressing. And she couldn't for the life of her figure out why.

"What are you even talking about?"

"You have _no _idea just how awful today was, how _petrified _I was watching a kid that isn't even mine and having to be that much more cautious about what I do. What the bloody hell will I do when it _is _mine?"

"Well, welcome to growing up, Nik! Welcome to what being a parent is like. I'm sorry you're going to have to exhibit a little bit of responsibility for once!"

"Caroline, stop it!" Klaus growled, making her take a step back as he ran his hands through his hair once more. "No responsibility? Caroline, I've carried responsibility for years now! You have NO idea what you're talking about or what I've had to live with!"

"I don't, do I?" she stepped back, realizing the scope of what he meant and just how out of his loop she was right now, "Then please tell me!" She hated how it sounded like an accusation and a plad, "Just go ahead and enlighten me, then, since I have _no idea_ how to be responsible and grow up. It's not like I'm carrying a baby or anything! Talk about responsibility!" Caroline said, her voice raised as she glared at Klaus.

"Bloody hell, that's what I'm trying _not _to do! This isn't _yours _to deal with! You're already being responsible for the both of us so pardon me from trying to spare you from dealing with any more of my 'baggage', sweetheart," he ground out, jumping up and beginning to pace around the kitchen. She didn't deserve this. He knew that.

"I'd rather deal with your baggage than try to figure out what the hell you're talking about! God, Klaus, you would be the one to freak out about watching over a two-year-old for no good reason! You over think _everything_! It's ridiculo-"

"I killed my brother, Caroline!" Klaus finally yelled, voice shaking, "He's dead and it's my fault! Forgive me for 'overthinking' and 'freaking out' about potentially harming our baby when I have to babysit a two-year-old!"

Caroline stopped all of her movements and looked up at him with careful shock in her eyes, "You what?" she whispered.

Klaus stopped pacing, his eyes went wide, and he swallowed nervously as he realized what he'd just said, how his biggest, most well kept secret had slipped out carelessly. He gulped again before meeting Caroline's concerned gaze. He couldn't stand that look- that burning desire to see into his mind and make all the dark go away. Because she couldn't. No one could do that by him and he didn't deserve that look. So he just couldn't answer her. Not now, not ever. That wasn't supposed to come out. _God damnit how could she always pull these things out of him?!_

He had to get out. Maybe running would make her forget everything that he'd just said. It was irrational but it was the only thought he could accept in that moment. Taking deep breaths, Klaus turned and grabbed his car keys.

"What…? Where are you going?"

He didn't answer. He couldn't bring himself to without breaking. His brother. His baby brother. _Little Henrik with his bright eyes and big heart. _Gone and it had been all his fault and nothing shamed him more than knowing that.

"Nik?!" Caroline asked again, a frantic tone in her voice.

He turned for a split second on his way out the door, looking back at Caroline's shocked figure over his shoulder-something in his chest aching to comfort her and aching more because he knew he couldn't- before walking briskly out the door and leaving Caroline standing alone in the kitchen, his confession floating around in the tense silence as he tried to prevent the onslaught of memories breaking through his carefully constructed defenses.

* * *

_ "But Lijah, we wanted to go for ice cream before we went home." Nik could remember the small voice perfectly in his mind as it whined innocently, as if it had taken place yesterday instead of years ago. His little brother was the only person that could make whining sound innocent._

_Elijah gripped the wheel harder in irritation, "Henrik, we're already late. Father will be angrier the later we get in."_

_The boys knew that Elijah respected their father and tried his best to keep them all out of trouble, but Henrik was right. They had planned on stopping to get ice cream. Klaus laughed morosely to himself at their petulance. With Rebekah at the next door neighbors and Mikael working late, Elijah had been in charge of getting them all fed when they'd ventured out for the evening._

_Nik saw his six-year old brother pouting beside him, Finn sitting quietly in the front and Kol on the other side of Nik. He had rolled his eyes at Finn's indifference. But he was not indifferent. He had always had a weak spot for little Henrik; his heart clenched when his baby brother was sad. _

_Thirteen-year-old Nik knew that his brother would stay in a mood all night if he didn't distract him. That was the thing about Henrik, even at a young age he had the same stubborn talent Nik had- holding grudges for ridiculous amounts of time, but he was also very distractible, due to his age. Henrik's temperament could change minute by minute, but overall he was usually a happy boy and Nik tried to keep him that way._

"_Ignore, Lij, Henry," Nik started in a conspiratorial voice, "He's just grumpy because his girlfriend broke up with him again today. And it looks permanent this time," Nik laughed, seeing Elijah's shoulders stiffen in the front seat and he anticipated his yell of, "Mind your own business, Niklaus. Don't teach our brother your childish ways of amusement." Elijah always did get extremely condescending when offended._

_He kept going, baiting him, nudging Henrik, then Kol, with his shoulder knowing that seeing his uptight brother pissed off always made Henrik laugh._

"_Oh come, on Elijah, you can admit your heartbreak! We won't tell!"_

_That got Kol, possibly the most talented at being irritating of all of them, to join in. "Yeah, Lij. Tell us about your girl! Do you think you can get her back?"_

_They could all see their oldest brother's posture change from mildly irritated to wanting to rip heads off. They all had tempers like that and Nik knew right that second that he had flipped the switch on Elijah's. His personal life was personal. They all knew that._

_He gripped the wheel hard and turned over his shoulder with a growl,"I will not tell any of you anything! I will not even acknowledge if you're anywhere in the vicinity of being correct! I'm trying to drive without the incessant ribbing of your-"_

_Bright headlights flashing in all of their eyes and the horrible, haunting sound of screeching tires is all Nik really remembered of the next few moments as Elijah turned off the road as quickly as he could, the car jostling all of them before it flipped once. Kol had gripped the seat in front of him, hugging it tightly as two of his teeth were knocked out. Finn had thankfully been wearing a seat belt that constricted around him and bruised his chest. The airbag pushed out onto Elijah, cracking one of his ribs but keeping him inside the car. Nik had forgotten everything else in panic and grabbed for Henrik, holding him around the waist as the driver slammed into the side of their car that Henrik was sitting on. He could feel his little brother being hit in the side and falling over in his arms, his head bashing into the opposite window. He wasn't wearing a seat belt. The next few moments were full of screams, panicked breathing, and his own fuzzy vision before everything went black._

_He hadn't known what was happening until later when he was laying in his own hospital bed, the bright lights glaring down at him, blinding him as if he were in an inquisition. Klaus had sustained a concussion and internal bleeding and had to undergo surgery. That was when the truth had come out- that he wasn't Mikael's son- and confirmed his father's suspicions about his true parentage, changing his life for the worst. _

_Klaus remembered waking up to his father and brothers in his room, waiting for him to wake. Rebekah was in his father's arms and she pounced on the bed as soon as his eyes had opened and adjusted to the white lights, kissing his 'boo-boos' to 'make him better'._

_He knew there was something wrong, with a heavy silence weighing them down, his brother's strained smiles as they ruffled his hair and squeezed his sore shoulders before Mikael and Elijah shooed them all from the room._

_They stood there, one on either side of him. Elijah's eyes were glassy and, even at thirteen, Klaus could count on his fingers the number of times he'd seen his big brother cry and it terrified him. Mikael was upset. He was strangely calm, acting for all the world like he was relieved Klaus had made it out alive and while he now knew the reason behind the almost-smile that graced the man's lips, it had chilled him to the core. The thought of it still did._

_Mikael was speaking, Elijah reaching for his hand, kneeling down so he was level with his head. Everything was a blur, he couldn't even remember anything that was said except for five words._

"_Niklaus, Henrik didn't make it."_

_Those five words rang in his mind, hitting him with an impact equivalent to the force of the crash he'd been in and shattered his world permanently. _

_It wasn't until after they had all gone home that Klaus remembered clearly and realized what had happened. He didn't see the blue and red glare of the EMT lights reflecting off of Elijah's face as he shouted and begged the paramedics to do something while Henry lay with a bloody head on a stretcher, but he pieced together the event in his mind from what he did see. _

_Before Elijah could have finished the yelling he'd started for their teasing, a trucker had slammed into the side of the car that Henrik was sitting on. Elijah had turned the wheel when he turned around to yell at them. The truck had veered slightly out of its lane. In five minutes, their kid brother was dead. He could still see Kol crying by his bedside. Kol never cried again after that night. _

_But Nik did._

Sitting in his SUV, gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles and tears on his cheeks, Klaus let the memories come. There was no stopping them now. They were out in the open, floating about unguarded except for the darkness and the isolation of his SUV.

* * *

**A/n: **_Ok so…that was depressing. I'm sorry for those feels. I got carried away. You guys know I have a morbid fascination with sad flashbacks. Kaitlin wrote the first half of that scene and I wrote the morbid end of it…Anyway, hopefully the babysitting fluff balanced that out. Anyway, Klaus isn't gone for good. They just need some time apart before they make up__**, **__probably with yelling and rough kissing. But if you want more than that, you'll have to ask because this is a T fic. Haha._

_Oh Ps! Did anyone else hear about the Kindle publishing fanfiction and giving authors royalties soon? Woo hoo! I'd get paid for my madness. If you guys bought this that is. Oh, Kaitlin would too!_


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